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THE 

GENTLEMAN FROM 
MARYLAND 




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BOSTON 

RICHARD G. BADGER 

THE GORHAM PRESS 

















Copyright, 1924, by Richard G. Badger 


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All Rights Reserved 


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Made in the United States of America 


The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 

MAY 10 ”?A' 





DEDICATION 

To every gentleman of Maryland, who has placed the in¬ 
terests of his State above selfishness; who has desired to 
see his State in the foremost rank for righteousness and 
patriotism; and who has planned for the safety, prosperity, 
and progress of future generations of Americans, I re¬ 
spectfully dedicate this book. 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I The Land of the Evergreens ... 7 

II The Dreams of Youth.24 

III The Colonel and His New Enterprise 34 

IV The Pocomoke is Robbed.46 

V Riddles.60 

VI Conscience and Revelation .... 72 

VII Some Rich Men Are Not So Selfish . 86 

VIII A Witness Disappears.97 

IX The Affair at Sandy Hill .... 106 

X Discussing a Sermon.117 

XI Mrs. Ward is Consulted.130 

XII The Convalescent.137 

XIII “One Man’s Loss is Another’s Gain” . 150 

XIV At the Covington Mansion .... 160 

XV The Old Flame Rekindled . . . . 171 

XVI Heredity and Environment .... 183 

XVII “I Lied, I Lied”.199 

XVIII The Governor’s Bereavement . . . 215 

XIX An Eastern Shore “Round Up” . . . 230 

XX A Mission of Sorrow.241 

XXI Men Are Like Babies.256 

XXII Covington’s New Mistress .... 267 









VI 


CONTENTS 


XXIII Honoring the Mighty. 278 

XXIV Miss Anne and Mrs. Marah .... 291 

XXV The Senator and the Raiders . . . 307 

XXVI “Would You Have Me Break My 

Promise?”. 318 

XXVII Israel's Mission. 330 

XXVIII The Gentleman From Maryland . . 341 

XXIX An American Tournament .... 353 

XXX “Just a Slight Accident; It Will Not 

Amount to Much”. 367 

XXXI The Robbed Pocomoke is Avenged . . 376 




THE 

GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND 


CHAPTER I 

THE LAND OF THE EVERGREENS 

In the days of reconstruction which followed the Civil 
War, great excitement prevailed in many parts of the South, 
caused by the enormous demand for cotton. New factories, 
both large and small, sprang up in many different neighbor¬ 
hoods; even the very important and lazy farmer, imbued with 
the new spirit that seemed to be sweeping the country, aban¬ 
doned his long-occupied seat on the sugar barrel at the corner 
grocery, and industriously followed his oxen and plow, while 
he dreamed of easily made gold that would flow into his 
empty pockets, if all reports were true; and young men 
everywhere eagerly sought opportunity of bettering their po¬ 
sitions financially. One of these youths sat alone on a pile 
of lumber in the yard of Gambrill and Company, 
at Snow Hill, situated on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 
which forms the greater part of that peninsula which 
stretches between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic 
Ocean, from Wilmington to Kiptopeke. This long arm of 
land is known by its residents as “The Land of the Ever¬ 
greens/’ and that portion which is connected directly with 
this story is called the “Garden of Maryland.” It was during 
the dinner hour, and, as he sat there, he ate his cold lunch. 
Several dogs looked at him expectantly, for they knew from 
experience that James Purnell never ate his lunch alone, even 
if he was the only human being in sight. Several morsels of 
that lunch, and of many former ones, helped to satiate the 
gnawing hunger of a half-starved cur, or even a well-kept 


8 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


pet, that belonged to some resident of the town. A boy who 
will share his food with a hungry cur, instead of meeting his 
pleading look with a cast missile, or a kick, has within him 
that which will make of him the man who will be trusted 
with the destinies of his people, and he will be true to that 
trust. 

After finishing his lunch he sat there while he wrote sev¬ 
eral notes upon a memorandum. The dogs trotted off, one 
by one, until all disappeared. “How much like human 
friends,” he thought. “A man is very popular until he can 
no longer satisfy their desires, then they disappear, one by 
one, until not one is left.” 

For some time it had been his habit to write such con¬ 
clusions upon his memorandum; then to study them as he 
watched “folks” in order to see which proved true and which 
false. He therefore wrote the thought that had just occu¬ 
pied his mind. 

“Not one left? ” spoke a pleasant voice over his shoulder. 

James looked up in surprise, although he knew instantly 
to whom that voice belonged. It belonged to one of his 
friends, who had attended school with him. She was taking 
a “short cut” through the lumber yard as she went to the 
store, and had stolen upon him so quietly that she was able 
to read the last three words as she stood looking over his 
shoulder. As he did not answer her immediately, but sat 
looking at her in deep thought, she continued: “You know 
that you can always count upon myself, if I am able to aid 
you.” 

“You are not able to aid me this time, I am afraid; I very 
much wish that you were,” he answered. 

“You might tell your old friend and classmate what your 
need is anyhow. You belong to do that, I think.” 

“Certainly I will. I don’t mind your knowing, although 
you can’t help. Nearly every man in this town is investing 
some money in the new cotton-factory. It is a great oppor- 


The Land of the Evergreens 


9 


tunity for them. I want to buy some stock, and having little 
money of my own, I asked Mr. Gambrill to advance me one 
year’s wages. Of course he wished to know what I made 
such a strange request for, and I told him. He asked me 
why I did not invest my money ih his business. When I told 
him that I believed the factory would prove to be the better 
proposition he became very angry, and refused to make the 
advance.” 

“There must be some way,” she replied. “Walter Whaley 
has bought several bonds.” 

“Who told you that? ” demanded James. 

“He did, and he has become a member of the company.” 

“Yes, his father is rich,” said James, dejectedly. “Several 
bonds means a lot of money. No wonder he is a member 
of the company. I hoped to buy only one.” 

As James finished this remark two things happened. The 
whistle blew, thus ending his lunch hour, and a tall, well- 
dressed gentleman entered the yard, and came toward him 
as he resumed his work about the pile of lumber, on which 
he had been sitting during the lunch hour. The stranger 
did not seem to notice him at first, but passed the pile of 
boards, and stepped upon the landing by the river, where he 
stood for some time while he watched a group of men as 
they unloaded a boat that was hawsered there. The boards, 
which James was piling, had been brought up the Pocomoke 
River by the boat, and were being unloaded by the men who 
had brought it up the river. 

The stranger then stepped over to the heap of boards 
which James was arranging. “Why must the boards be laid 
with such care ? ” he asked. 

“So that they will not mildew,” was the reply of James. 
“In this flat country the air is very damp. There are so many 
marshes and swamps that the air is full of dampness, and 
lumber that is not piled so that the air can circulate between 


10 The Gentleman From Maryland 

each board of the pile, soon becomes covered with molds, and 
rots quickly.” 

During this explanation James continued to work. This 
fact was noticed by the stranger, who remarked with a smile: 
“You are one of the few who can talk and work at the same 
time.” 

“My time belongs to my employer,” replied James. “I al¬ 
ways feel that Mr. Gambrill is entitled to my honest labors 
while I am employed by him.” 

“That’s right, young man. The times seem to be changing 
somewhat though. Most workers feel that they must stop 
their labor while they talk. Why, there’s hardly a thing that 
happens within a half mile of them, that they do not see. 
And they can repeat every word that is spoken within that 
radius, and they consume more time rolling and lighting 
cigarettes than they spend at their work. Stick to your 
opinion and you will make a place that cannot be filled by 
idle hands; you will become famous.” 

He then recrossed the yard and entered the office of 
Gambrill and Company, dealers in all kinds of building 
material. 

“Hey, Jim! Who’s your friend? ” shouted one of the men 
from the boat. He had stopped work long enough to hear 
what the stranger said, and he was not very well pleased. 

“I don’t know, Elmer,” replied James. 

“Seems to think you’re I-T, according to his opinion of you 
as a worker,” added another. 

“I don’t know him from Adam,” answered James. “He 
certainly seems to be a gentleman, though.” 

“Gentleman, eh; that’s Colonel Riddle of Philadelphia,” 
exclaimed the third man from the boat. “He’s the guy that 
wants to build the factory down the road.” 

James Purnell stopped his work so suddenly that one of 
the men remarked dryly: “Better keep diggin, Jim. He might 
be lookin’ through the winder.” 


The Land of the Evergreens 11 

“I'm not afraid of being watched,” said James indig¬ 
nantly. 

The captain of the boat, a large, robust man, with rough 
face, but a good nature, heard this last remark as he came 
through the yard. “Don’t mind Roy, Jim,” he said. “He 
don’t know much about work; it don’t agree with his liver.” 

No matter how small the boat is along this coast, the one 
in authority is always called Captain. Many men who have 
made just a few short trips, or who have owned and operated 
an oyster boat, are ever afterwards known and spoken of as 
“Capt’n.” Captain Howard had owned the Peggy for some¬ 
time and carried freight, especially lumber between the im¬ 
portant towns of the Eastern Shore. He had never been 
across the “Bay,” however, for he hesitated to enter Balti¬ 
more Harbor where there were many large vessels with 
sails, and skippers, and crews who could not speak a “decent 
tongue,” as he said. 

At this moment the door of the office opened, and Mr. 
Riddle emerged again. He came directly to the boat, and 
addressed Captain Howard. 

“Captain,” said he, “how soon will you have your cargo 
ashore ? ” 

“In about two hours, suh,” said the captain. 

“I have some machinery at Baltimore that I would like you 
to transport for me.” 

“Never been to that burg in my life,” interrupted Howard. 

“Never too late, Captain; I will pay you well on safe 
arrival. If you can oblige me, I will be very grateful.” 

After consulting for a few minutes with his crew, the Cap¬ 
tain turned to Mr. Riddle and said: “I believe I will try it, 
suh; when do you want me to start ? ” 

“Immediately, if possible; at least as soon as you are ready 
to start.” 

The men murmured somewhat at this, but the captain said, 
“We will be ready by four o’clock.” 


12 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“Good,” replied his new employer. “Here is an order 
for the machines,” and he handed Howard a sealed packet 
addressed to a Baltimore firm. 

As Colonel Riddle again returned across the yard to the 
office he glanced toward James, who was still busily placing 
the boards on the pile. When the office door had shut upon 
him he remarked to Mr. Gambrill, half in earnest, half in 
jest, “How much for your yard man? ” 

“He’s not for sale,” was the quick answer. “He has al¬ 
ready expressed his desire to join your company as a stock¬ 
holder, at least. I have employed many men, but never one 
like James Purnell. He seldom hurries at his work, but 
neither does he lag or stop. I think he tries to practice the 
old proverb 'more haste, less speed,’ and endeavors to ac¬ 
complish such great results by his steady patience.” 

“Give me twenty-five men like him, and my factory will 
be a great success,” remarked the Colonel. 

“You can’t have him, success or no success,” replied the 
merchant. After a few moments of deep thought he added, 
“You are still determined to place your factory out there in 
the pines ? ” 

“Determination is not the question. I would like to have 
it here near the river, but I cannot get the land. You see 
those who have the vacant land for sale really think that I 
will pay any price rather than locate so far away. But they 
are mistaken. When do you expect to deliver the material ? ” 

“Whenever you are ready, sir; yet I certainly would like 
to see your factory in the town.” 

“That is naturally my preference, Mr. Gambrill; but I 
will not submit to robbery without protest. You may begin 
to supply the material immediately. Captain Howard intends 
to go to Baltimore this evening for the machinery.” 

“Howard to Baltimore? Why, we never expected to 
hear of his getting out of sight of the Eastern Shore.” 

“He demurred at first, but consented reluctantly.” 


The Land of the Evergreens 


13 


Snow Hill is a town of about one thousand inhabitants, 
where much that is old still lingers. It retains much of the 
spirit of the old South. New voices are heard for a time, but 
disappear again while this spirit reigns supreme. The people 
seem to resent new ideas or innovations. They seem piqued 
if anyone who does not “belong” in the town, becomes an 
active resident. They feel that the town and all its 
opportunities are eternally reserved for them and their chil¬ 
dren. Many a promising enterprise has failed for want of 
the support of the residents, for, having not sufficient talent 
or initiative of their own to start business ventures, they hate 
the man from the outside who has. The town lays in one 
of the richest portions of the state, and is the county seat for 
the many well-to-do farmers, who supply hundreds of bar¬ 
rels of the “white” or Irish potato. It is also the land of the 
sweet potato, the good old watermelon, and the cantaloupe. 
These last two fruits are shipped by the thousands to the 
northern markets, where many customers, whose lips are 
thin and whose complexions are white, await their arrival, 
and enjoy their delicious flavor quite as much as their more 
dusky brethren, who devour them while they sing: 

“Oh, de ham bone am good, 

An’ de ’possum am sweet; 

An’ de chicken am berry, berry fine; 

But gib me, oh gib me, 

Oh how ah wish you would, 

Dat watahmelon hangin’ on de vine.” 

This old town, with its stately court-house and ancient 
jail, stands on the bank of the Pocomoke River, about the 
center of Worcester County. If it were famous for noth¬ 
ing else, its two old churches: the All Hallows Episcopal, 
and the Makemie Memorial Presbyterian, would contribute 
lasting fame to it, for they are numbered among the oldest 


14 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


of their respective denominations in America. Its inhabi¬ 
tants endeavor exceedingly hard to imitate the society of the 
larger cities; but progress is an unknown quantity. The few 
stores supply only the bare necessities of life; its banks are 
fair, but make no attempt to increase their deposits; its one 
paper, a weekly, is of a pessimistic tone rather than one of 
encouragement and constructive policies. The news that it 
prints is chiefly local gossip, with an occasional lapse from 
the ordinary edition about Christmas time. At that time of 
the year they may print a larger edition containing many 
letters written by children, and often grown children, to 
Santa Claus. For this fault the paper must not bear all 
the reproach, for the reading public expect and demand 
just such production. 

When Colonel Riddle arrived at the town with his 
scheme, and asked the citizens for their friendship and co¬ 
operation, they merely shook their wiseacre heads saying, 
“It can’t be did.” However, after being left to think over 
the proposition for a short time they came to a different 
conclusion, for many of them joined him; but they were 
so far in the minority that he was compelled to seek a site 
several miles farther down the river, in the pines between 
that and Stevenson’s Ferry, later Pocomoke City. It seems 
very true, yet most unpleasant, that many people in small 
towns had rather see a man fail than succeed even though 
they themselves be robbed of comforts and advantages by 
the failure. Such a town was Snow Hill, in the land of the 
Pines and Holly. 

The Northern business man had been in town about two 
weeks when Captain Howard arrived with his boat, there¬ 
fore he lost no time in making the engagement for the trip to 
Baltimore. The Colonel was a tall man, with gray hair and 
prominent blue eyes which glistened at all times. He carried 
himself always with the bearing and manners of the typical 
Northern gentleman and business man; he was entertained 


The Land of the Evergreens 


15 


with that hospitality which only the old South knew how to 
mete out to its guests; yet as a Republican of the old school 
he was unable fully to realize the environment of or to un¬ 
derstand, these Southern Democrats, who seemed to see 
with eyes single only to Democratic victory and glory; but 
before he left, several years later, he not only completely 
understood their ways and policies, but unreservedly sym¬ 
pathized with them, accepting fully the same attitude that 
they showed concerning the Negro element among them, 
that is nearly three to one in proportion to the population 
of the Shore. At first, like all uninformed and inexperi¬ 
enced Northerners, he felt that the Negro did not have his 
proper share in the local government, neither was he slow in 
entering his protest against this seemingly unfair condition, 
for he had been influenced by those agitators of the North 
who have been so willing to advise as to how the problem 
should be solved, yet who have always kept a safe distance 
as if afraid that their skirts, or silken robes, might be soiled 
by the touch of the unfortunate black man. He soon felt 
that the problem is of the South and, can be solved only by 
the Southerner, in his own way; for he alone understands 
the intricate situation. Even the Negroes themselves would 
strongly oppose the Northerner who might try to solve the 
problem in other ways than those being used by the Southern 
white man. 

At one time, while Colonel Riddle was riding on the train 
between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, he met one of his 
friends, who asked him about the conditions as he found 
them. 

“Is it true that the Negro is not being educated ? ” she 
asked. 

“Yes, it is true. ,, 

“Why does the government permit such injustice to pre¬ 
vail?” 


16 The Gentleman From Maryland 

“The government can do nothing; it is the states that must 
act.” 

“Then why does not the states do something? ” 

“They are not able; they were left without funds after 
the war.” 

“Yet the responsibility is theirs.” 

“Part of it; the other part is ours. We freed the Negro; 
then turned him out to drift. He is now living upon the 
generosity of his former masters and mistresses. They are 
doing all that they can for him. They want him to become 
self-supporting. There are societies in the North who are 
endeavoring to do our part, but they are failing because we 
are not supporting them financially.” 

“Many of us do give through our churches.” 

“But how much? The opportunities are many; yet how 
many care anything about the man so far away? Pardon 
me if I seem too personal, but I ask you because you seem 
interested. How much did you give through your church or 
any other agency, last year ? ” 

“I think I gave fifty cents.” 

“And you and I are wealthy. We have no right to say 
anything one way or the other; rather, we should ‘let our 
light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, 
and glorify our Father who is in Heaven/ Then we would 
be beyond reproach.” 

The woman said no more, and the conversation turned into 
other channels. 

On the evening of the second day after seeing Captain 
Howard, the Colonel again visited the lumber yard of Gam- 
brill and Co. He found Mr. Gambrill radiating the sun¬ 
shine of his better nature, an attitude seldom indulged by that 
gentleman. In fact, the Colonel had concluded that Gambrill 
was the “sourest” man he had ever met. This morning, 
however, he was well pleased with the tide of his business 
affairs; for had he not dispatched several teams of oxen 


The Land of the Evergreens 


17 


heavily laden with lumber to the scene of the new factory? 
He now made a fine report to the Colonel, who increased his 
good humor by making the first payment on the supplies or¬ 
dered from the merchant. After carefully counting the 
money Mr. Gambrill requested his clerk, Walter Whaley, to 
credit the Colonel with five hundred dollars on account. 

As the Colonel left the office Mr. Gambrill called to him, 
extending to him a cordial invitation to dine with him at the 
Powell House, the town’s most famous hostelry. The Colonel 
had made this hotel his home since coming to the town, and 
gladly accepted the invitation. They left the office after 
Gambrill had carefully locked the money drawer. Then they 
proceeded up Washington Street, on which was situated 
both the office and the hotel, and immediately entered the 
latter, where they seated themselves opposite the large win¬ 
dow overlooking the street. 

During the dinner, conversation did not lag, for Mr. 
Gambrill seemed to be in a very talkative mood. He had a 
story to tell about nearly every passer-by. Several times 
they were interrupted by substantial citizens, who, seeing the 
two dining together, came into the room to greet them with 
a handshake and a few cordial remarks. One of the most 
lovable and admirable characteristics of the true Southern 
gentleman is his desire to be agreeable to strangers. He 
seldom is too busy to stop for a friendly chat, and invariably 
leaves the impression upon the stranger that he is at home 
and among friends. 

“There goes Colonel Selby, of Stockton,” said Mr. Gam¬ 
brill, as an elderly man, not very well dressed, passed the 
hotel. “I want to tell you a funny story about him. He is 
very seldom sober, yet generally knows what he is doing. 
Upon one occasion, when he almost lost control of himself, 
his wife became very sick. She is a great Methodist, and 
she has endeavored to get her husband to join the church, in 
order to reform him. He determines that he will reform 


18 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


first, then join the church. On this occasion she sent him 
for the doctor, but he seemed to get the man of pills mixed 
with the man of prayer; for, upon meeting his wife’s minis¬ 
ter somewhere along the road, he hailed him. He told the 
pastor that his wife was very sick, and that she desired to 
see him immediately. Of course the minister returned to 
the home, where he found all as the husband had reported. 
Before the minister took his leave they knelt in prayer. 
Now it happened that the husband knelt by a chair that had 
a hole through the seat, and by some peculiar circumstance, 
the husband got his head through the hole. When the prayer 
was ended the minister found him in that position. It was a 
pitiful sight to see, for the chair seemed to desire to act as a 
hangman; for it was with great effort that the minister 
at last extricated the Colonel. Although that has been 
several years ago he is still taunted by many of his friends. 
‘Well, Colonel, when was the minister to see you last?’ 
they will say. Sometimes he laughs, but sometimes he 
breaks the Commandments when he answers.” 

“That’s Nicholas Jones,” continued the entertainer, as a 
large man passed the window. “He went to the barn one 
night to bridle his horse in order to take his wife to church. 
After staying there for some time his wife became anxious, 
for he was in the habit of bringing out the horse without a 
light, and she feared that some accident had happened to 
him. She went to the barn and called. Her husband an¬ 
swered from the dark stable, ‘Honey, I can find the mane, 
but to save my life I can’t find the head! You see, the 
horse had gotten turned around in his stall, and Jones was 
in the right place, but the horse’s head was not. 

“And here’s old Dr. Price; he cured a dog that had his 
leg smashed by a wagon once, and ever since, he carries that 
black case, claiming to be a veterinarian, although he knews 
nothing about diseases of animals. 

“There goes Sam Cherrix. One day, while we were boys 


The Land of the Evergreens 


19 


at school, the teacher asked Sam to spell dog. Sam said, 
‘K—d—1, dog,’ but he never spelled dog that way again, for 
in those days the birch was used liberally, and Sam got it 
good and hard. 

“The fellow just passing the window is our mayor, John 
White. He was our star pupil when it came to examination 
in History. When asked the question, ‘What happened at 
Jamestown?’ he answered, ‘Jamestown took sick, and died.’ 
Then he was asked, ‘Where did Captain John Smith plant 
his immigrants?’ John’s answer was ‘He planted them in 
his garden! ’ ” 

By these, and many other stories, Mr. Gambrill enter¬ 
tained his guest, who seemed to enjoy them, if laughter is an 
indication. Then he repeated to the Colonel a long list of 
nicknames of the citizens, for nearly every man had a pseud¬ 
onymous title by which he was known; many of which are 
without any significance. Some of them were: Pert, Chubby, 
Petie, Boo-Hoo, Azze, Ponty, Squeegee, Coof, Cudge, Mizz, 
Dock, Ponto, Broad Haid, Skill Pot, Lady Bug, Jie, Chaz, 
Bull, Puddin’, Pie, Gnat, Guinea, Tump, Chinch, Jaby, Bunk, 
Nut, Ungler, Beauty, Kildee, and Br’er Rabbit. As these 
names were used instead of first names it was impossible for 
a stranger to know who was meant, for only one name was 
given when a native was concerned. A few men bore the 
titles of Judge, Colonel, Captain, or Squire, but the great 
majority were satisfied with a short nickname. Several of 
these characters passed the window during the course of the 
meal and were pointed out by Mr. Gambrill. He certainly 
succeeded in making his guest feel that he was no longer a 
stranger. 

The important cities of the Middle Atlantic States may 
be distinguished by the attitude shown the visitor upon his 
arrival at either of them. Blindfold an experienced traveler, 
place him in the midst of either of them, then remove the 
blind, and he can name the city by watching the citizens. The 


20 The Gentleman From Maryland 

ordinary dweller of New York shows his suspicion by star¬ 
ing at you. He immediately classes one as an outlaw, or a 
likely victim. At any moment during the day or night a visi¬ 
tor feels that he has taken his life in his own hands by 
venturing to the metropolis. In the city of “Brotherly 
Love,” which exists only in American fairy tales, the visitor 
is caused to feel continually uncomfortable by that “Who- 
are-you” spirit manifested when seeing the eyes of all loit¬ 
erers fastened upon him as he approaches, and feeling them 
riveted upon his back until he is out of range. If you are 
not a criminal, a guilty feeling possesses you that you are far 
from home, and brothers, who are willing to show their love, 
are few and far between. The citizen who named that city 
was a great publicity man. In the city of Baltimore, that 
metropolis of Dixie, a man may walk the streets, ride on the 
cars or elevators, or even enter the public buildings, and 
feel that he is one of the citizens. Men allow ladies to pre¬ 
cede them through doors; they offer them their seats on 
crowded street cars; and even remove their hats while rid¬ 
ing in elevators with ladies. Many times the visitor is ac¬ 
corded the same deference, especially if he is an elderly man, 
so that he at least feels that he is in his native land, if he is 
an American. 

Pessimists tell us that the spirit of chivalry is passing 
rapidly; that women, with their equal rights, must expect 
only the consideration shown to men in business. It is neces¬ 
sary that ladies merit their positions by their attainments; 
but may the men of the “Land of the Pilgrim’s Pride” never 
forget that it is woman whom God Himself delighteth to 
honor, when her life is exemplarily worthy of His honor. 
This spirit has been linked with the manners of the South¬ 
land from its beginning. May they never be divided. 

As Mr. Gambrill and his guest sat by the table, after finish¬ 
ing their meal, they talked pleasantly of various subjects, one 
of which was the manners and customs of the South. They 


The Land of the Evergreens 


21 


dwelt long upon this interesting subject, for the Colonel was 
inclined to believe that the times were changing, and that 
the South was rapidly forgetting its famous contribution 
from its cavalier ancestors. Now it invariably happens that 
business men, no matter how interesting and absorbing other 
subjects may be, cannot remain long together without speak¬ 
ing of their business affairs. Mr. Gambrill at last referred 
to their conversation at the office that afternoon. 

“You were speaking of desiring young Purnell as one of 
your men,” he said. “Now if it were Walter Whaley, my 
clerk, that you wanted, I might-” 

He suddenly stopped, for James and Walter had passed 
the window. These two young men were the best of friends, 
for it had been partly through Whaley’s influence that James 
Purnell had been employed by the lumber firm. Walter was 
the office assistant, while James was the yard manager. Both 
were regarded as promising youths; both were members of 
the same church and Sunday School class, but Walter was 
sometimes acknowledged by others as being the more un¬ 
steady of the two. Yet whatever faults others might per¬ 
ceive in Walter, to his chum’s mind he was faultless; for 
Purnell, being honest and trustful himself, did not sus¬ 
pect his friend of being otherwise. Where there is fear or 
suspicion there true love does not dwell. Yet the contrast 
between Purnell’s defenseless, prominent eyes, and the self- 
complacent, haughty expression, that skulked in the slanting 
eyes of Whaley, was easily observed by their older acquaint¬ 
ances. 

As the two young men passed the hotel they separated at 
the door. James continued on his homeward way, but Wal¬ 
ter stepped into the dining room and handed Mr. Gambrill 
a key. As he did so he remarked, “I locked the cash drawer 
and the office; you left your key in the lock when you closed 
the drawer.” He then sauntered leisurely into the hotel office 
and dropped carelessly into a chair. 



22 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


Mr. Gambrill held the key for some time in his hand while 
he thought deeply. As he dropped it into his pocket, he said 
to his guest: “That certainly is strange; I would have sworn 
that I locked that drawer before I left.” 

“Our minds play us very strange tricks, sometimes,” re¬ 
plied Colonel Riddle. 

At this point they were interrupted by an angry voice 
from the hotel lobby, and Mr. Gambrill forgot the key for the 
moment. They both walked to the door in time to see old Dr. 
Price wielding a cane over the back of Whaley as the latter 
rushed into the street. The old veterinarian had been asleep 
in his chair when Whaley entered. Thinking that he would 
have some fun at the old gentleman’s expense, he had opened 
the inevitable black case that was setting on the floor by the 
doctor’s chair, and had taken out a small syringe. Although 
the doctor’s practicing had become proverbial, he always 
carried his black leather case. It would have been easier to 
have gotten him out of the house without shoes than without 
his badge of the profession, which he claimed to follow. 
Young Whaley had filled the instrument with water and was 
in the act of ejecting it into the face of the sleeper, when 
the latter suddenly awoke, and drove him from the room 
amidst the laughter of the loungers. 

“What will become of the younger generation?” asked the 
doctor. “That boy was raised right; I know his parents 
gave him proper training, but look what he is; nothing, noth¬ 
ing. A boy who does not respect old age and gray hairs will 
never know the glory of them.” 

Although the witnesses to this felt that the doctor enjoyed 
nothing better than being the butt of such abuse, Mr. Riddle 
remarked to Mr. Gambrill as they stepped into the street: 
“That boy became a member of my firm yesterday; he in¬ 
vested several thousand dollars with my company; I wonder 
if I have made a mistake.” 


The Land of the Evergreens 


23 


The two men walked a short distance together, then sep¬ 
arated ; Mr. Gambrill went to his home, and the Colonel re¬ 
turned to the hotel. 


CHAPTER II 


THE DREAMS OF YOUTH 

Every boy has dreams, secret desires, and ambitions to do 
some great thing, that is of especial interest to him. Every 
great statesman, engineer, preacher, sculptor, artist, lawyer, 
or author grew to be such, because he “saw visions, and 
dreamed dreams,” yet some folks, even fathers and mothers 
sometimes forget that that big, rough-and-ready, boisterous, 
virile boy is living many hours during which, if they watch 
closely, various manifestations of some speciality may be 
seen. Our educational system is lacking, because educators 
are not meeting fairly the problems of the young. They do 
not see the possibilities of their pupils, therefore drive them 
from school by forcing them to do that in their studies that 
is antagonistic to the pupil’s talent, or talents. They expect 
the pupil to get a general foundation; but not knowing what 
kind of a building will be built upon it, the foundation which 
the majority receive is straw. Fate sometimes delivers a 
genius from these well-meaning guides. Many a boy, who 
has had a “fool notion” and stuck to it in spite of teachers, 
parents, and friends, who scoffed and jeered, has turned 
that notion into a practical good that has aided all humanity. 
A Washington sees America free, and liberates her many 
stimes before the material fact is accomplished; a Bell sends 
and receives many messages over imaginary wires, then 
makes it possible; an Edison sees electricity bottled in “fifty- 
seven” varieties, then does it; a Hart, while plodding behind 
a team of horses on his father’s farm, dreamed of a gasoline 
horse and plow, on which he rode while the freshly plowed 
furrows followed in his wake, and lived long enough to ride 


The Dreams of Youth 


25 


one. But enough; the world too often laughed at these 
boys; in some instances, even the father scolded and told the 
boy to forget such foolishness. Yet the idea, the secret in¬ 
spiration developed an individuality that has made life more 
comfortable and satisfactory for uncounted multitudes. 

As James Purnell returned to his home that night his 
thoughts were still upon Colonel Riddle and the new enter¬ 
prise. He thought that he saw possibilities that would enable 
him to fulfill the dream of his life. The one handicap seemed 
to be his lack of money. It was, perhaps, the first time that 
he had had an envious thought where his friend Walter 
Whaley was concerned. Yet he did not blame Walter, but 
fate, that permitted what seemed to be such unfairness to 
exist in the universe. Was he not as capable and as deserv¬ 
ing as Walter? Had he not done better work at school than 
his friend? Ever since Nellie Bratten had told him, at the 
lumber yard, of Walter’s good fortune, that old proverb, 
“Opportunity knocks once at everybody’s door,” had re¬ 
peatedly occurred to him. This was certainly opportunity 
knocking at his door, but he stood helpless, unable to admit 
it. Nothing that he had done could be placed as the cause of 
his helplessness. Yet nothing that Walter had done could 
be accredited as the cause of his good fortune. What had 
Whaley done to deserve such good luck? Was it not pos¬ 
sible that many men, who were bearing much censure for not 
grasping opportunity, had lacked fortuitous chances, and had 
been found helpless, as he had when it had visited their 
doors ? Such were the thoughts that rapidly coursed through 
James’ brain as he walked up Washington Street, and turned 
into Market. 

But at this moment an incident happened which was des¬ 
tined to change the whole course of Purnell’s life. As he 
turned down Market Street, he heard loud voices and curses 
issuing from the store on that corner. What he saw a few 
moments later served only to strengthen his conviction that 


26 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


fate, whatever it was not, certainly was partial to some 
people. Several men, one of whom was Walter Whaley, lit¬ 
erally threw a man into the street. The man was crazy with 
drink, and tried to gain an upright position, but failed. As 
he lay there groaning and groveling in the gutter, James 
could contain himself no longer. He had stopped to make a 
small purchase at one of the stores on Washington Street, 
and Walter had reached the corner ahead of him. 

When he saw this rudeness and brutality on the part of 
his old chum, he shouted, “That’s the reason you can join 
Colonel Riddle’s company; your father becomes rich by rob¬ 
bing his fellow-men of money and soul. Then when he has 
gotten both, he pays you for throwing them out of his store 
into the street, by buying bonds for you.” 

Whaley made a retort, but it was drowned by the derisive 
shouts and laughter of the men who had aided him. 

It is seldom that men fail in great tasks; but in small 
things that are easy and commonplace. The man who had 
been thrown into the street had succeeded in establishing a 
well-known mercantile firm at Stockton, a few miles south 
of Snow Hill, known as R. E. Mason and Son. The son 
was the firm, however, for R. E. Mason had failed in little 
things. In these early days every store had its bar, and 
Mason, who had sold thousands of glasses of whiskey, had 
witnessed numerous failures by men who had allowed their 
appetites to control them; yet in his turn, succumbed to the 
many small glasses that he had taken. He had come to the 
County Seat to transact some legal business, and had stopped 
in the store of his friend, Tom Whaley, the father of Walter. 
He had been practically driven from his home at Stockton, 
and now was thrown from the store of his lifelong friend, 
because he had quarreled with him, and had struck him in the 
face during his drunken frenzy. 

Purnell picked up the old man, and took him home with 
him. Mrs. Purnell had known Mr. Mason for many years. 


The Dreams of Youth 


27 


In fact, they had attended many social affairs together in 
their younger days, for the younger people of the neighbor¬ 
ing towns invited each other to their dances and parties more 
frequently than they do at present. 

That night there was born in the mind of James Purnell 
the “fool notion’' that set him apart as the “dreamer of 
dreams,” for the betterment of his fellow-men. While 
Mr. Mason was suffering in that little home a short distance 
outside of Snow Hill, on the Virginia Road, where the 
Purnell’s had lived ever since the death of James’ father, 
James was thinking thoughts that grew into a mighty resolu¬ 
tion. The physician, who had been called, had suggested his 
favorite remedy of bleeding, which, when done, seemed to 
relieve the sufferer, somewhat. This relief was only mo¬ 
mentary, however, for about ten o’clock the abused life came 
to its tragic end. While sitting by the side of the dead 
man’s bed James talked to his mother about the tragedy to 
which he had been a witness. 

“Mother, is there not a way of ending this curse of man¬ 
kind?” 

“Our pastor says that man himself must end it. As long 
as men desire such abhorrent pleasures they will seek them, 
and become the victims of their repugnant habits.” 

“Could it not be done by law? There are laws to check 
murder and stealing.” 

“It seems that we have not advanced far enough for that. 
It is the opinion of many good people that goodness cannot 
be legislated into people.” 

“But Mother, we can remove the cause. They are at¬ 
tempting it in Maine and Kansas with success. From this 
moment I resolve to watch the experiments, and, if they are 
successful, to do something for the citizens of my own state.” 

“They will not thank you for it.” 

“No man who takes the lead in anything for the better¬ 
ment of others, does SO to get their thanks. Even though 


28 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


they stand alone, they cannot do otherwise. Their con¬ 
sciences are their guides.” 

This statement was followed by silence; that deep and im¬ 
pressive silence experienced by everyone who has been in 
the presence of death. It was broken by a loud knock at the 
door, more noticeable than usual, because of the stillness 
through the house. When James opened the door he found 
the sheriff on the porch. Sheriff Scarborough was their 
neighbor, and beckoned to James to step outside. “We want 
you to come down town for a few minutes,” he said. 

“Is it necessary? I don’t like to leave mother alone to¬ 
night,” James answered. 

“We will get someone to stay with her for a short time; 
you wait for me here.” The sheriff went for his wife, whom 
he soon brought to stay with Mrs. Purnell until James re¬ 
turned. 

Thinking that he was wanted as a witness to the scene en¬ 
acted in front of Whaley’s store, James did not say any¬ 
thing to his mother as he left except that he would be back 
soon, but accompanied the sheriff in silence for some time, 
his mind being on the deed perpetrated by the men at the 
store. After they had gone for a short distance the officer 
broke the silence by remarking: “This is a bad business, 
my boy.” 

“It certainly is,” replied James. “The old man died in 
great pain. It took three of us to hold him on the bed.” 

They continued to speak of the tragedy until they reached 
the office of Squire Townsend, where they found a crowd al¬ 
ready gathered. All eyes seemed to follow James as he en¬ 
tered the office. He was offered a chair by Colonel Riddle, 
but did not accept it as it was the only empty one in the 
crowded room. As he looked over those present he noticed 
his employer, Mr. Gambrill; Dr. Price; Judge Jones; Wal¬ 
ter Whaley, who seemed not able to meet his eye, and his 
father; the old Negro, Israel Crippen, who kept the office 


The Dreams of Youth 


29 


of the lumber company clean; Squire Townsend; Mr. Oliver, 
the clerk of the court; Ernest Bratten, the father of Nellie; 
and many other residents of the town. Squire Townsend 
began to speak: “James, were you in Mr. Gambrill’s office 
this evening before you went home?” 

“Yes, sir,” was the answer of James. 

“Why did you go there ? ” 

“I frequently go to the office when my work is done in 
order to meet Walter. We generally walk home together; 
that is, as far as he goes.” 

“Who was in the office when you entered ? ” 

“No one; but after I had waited there a few minutes 
Walter came in.” 

“About how long were you in the office alone ? ” 

“What has all this got to do with the death of Mr. Mason,” 
thought James. But he answered, “About ten minutes; I 
thought Walter was somewhere about the yard, and when he 
came in he said that he had been measuring a pile of lumber.” 

“Did you and Walter leave the office immediately after he 
returned ? ” 

“No, sir; not immediately. He closed his books; then 
locked the cash drawer, which he said Mr. Gambrill had for¬ 
gotten to lock. Then we left together and separated at the 
hotel. He stopped to give the key to Mr. Gambrill, who 
was at the hotel.” 

“Why did he give Mr. Gambrill the key ? ” 

“He said that Mr. Gambrill might want to return to the 
office that evening, as he often did.” 

“Did you go straight home from the hotel ? ” 

“No, sir; I stopped at the store and bought some things 
for our supper.” 

“Did you give Mr. Collins a ten-dollar bill ? ” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Where did you get it ? ” 


30 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“I have carried it for some time. Mr. Gambrill paid it to 
me last month. ,, 

“Is there only one key to that drawer ? ” 

“I think so, although I don’t know.” 

“What makes you think so?” 

“The fact that Walter was so anxious for Mr. Gambrill 
to have it that night.” 

The Squire turned to Walter. “Walter,” he said, “did you 
find James in the office when you returned? ” 

“Yes, sir,” he admitted. 

“Had anyone else been in the place after Mr. Gambrill 
left?” 

“Yes, sir; Uncle Israel brushed off the desks and placed 
some books on the shelf that were lying on the desk.” 

“Did he leave the building then ? ” 

“I don’t know; he walked out of the office.” 

“Do you have a key to the office ? ” 

“Yes,,sir; there are only two keys to the office that I know 
of. I have one, and Mr. Gambrill has the other.” 

“Do you have a key to the cash drawer ? ” 

“No, sir.” 

“Does Uncle Israel have a key to the office? ” 

“No, sah! No, sah! ’Deed ah does not, Mistah Town- 
sen,’ ” answered the old darkey from his place in the corner. 

“How do you get in, if you happen to get to the office in 
the morning before the others ? ” 

“Ah don’ gits in, sah. Ah waits on de do’ step.” 

At this answer there was hearty laughter in the office, but 
the Squire was ready with his next question. Turning to 
Walter again, he asked: “Is Mr. Gambrill in the habit of 
leaving his cash drawer unlocked ? ” 

“No, sir; he very seldom does so.” 

“How often have you found it open? ” 

“Only three or, four times that I can remember.” 

“How did you know this evening that it was open ? ” 


The Dreams of Youth 


31 


“Mr. Gambrill has often asked me to notice the drawer 
before leaving, and I almost always do so. It is behind the 
door in such a position that the door opens against it. As I 
reached for the door I saw the key in the lock of the 
drawer.” 

At this point, Squire Townsend passed two keys to Wal¬ 
ter, saying as he did so: “Which one of these keys did you 
give to Mr. Gambrill ? ” 

The two keys were almost exactly alike, but one of them 
had been recently filed in places, which could be seen if 
examined closely. Walter seemed somewhat confused at the 
Squire’s question, but he soon answered: “I don’t know, sir; 
I did not know that there were two.” 

When the Squire had taken the keys again, he turned to 
Roy Gordy, a young mechanic, who lived in the town. The 
Squire handed him the keys, saying, “Which one of these 
keys did you make ? ” 

“This one,” said Gordy, without hesitation, as he handed 
back the key that had been recently filed. 

“How did you get it so much like the other one ? ” 

“I took it from that drawing,” he said, as he handed the 
Squire a slip of paper on which had been sketched a key. 

The squire received the paper, placed it on his desk, and 
laid the key upon it. It fit perfectly. Then the Squire 
handed the paper and the key to Colonel Riddle. 

During the proceedings the Colonel had been watching 
James very closely, although he did not allow the youth to 
see him. He now looked at the drawing and the key, then 
handed them back without a word. 

When the Squire had them again, he said to Gordy: “Why 
did you make this key, Roy ? ” 

“I made it for Jim. A few days ago, he come to me and 
sade, ‘Roy, I’m in trubble; I’ve lost the key that Mr. Gam¬ 
brill give me. I can’t find it to save my life. To-day I took 
this drawing from Mr. Gambrill’s key, and I want you to 


32 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


make me one like it! I found an old key right smart like it, 
and by filing it, as you see there, I made another key, and 
give it to him. Hope I may die if that ain’t the truth.” 

When Roy had given his testimony a wave of murmuring 
passed through the crowd assembled; men expressing their 
opinions to others. The faces of the crowd were a study; in¬ 
credibility was written on the countenances of many; sur¬ 
prise and indignation showed from Mr. Gambrill’s face; 
doubt and sympathy from that of Colonel Riddle; contempt 
from Walter and his father; but righteous anger and shame 
blazed from the face of James Purnell, the accused youth, 
as the meaning of the trial at last dawned upon him. The 
Squire then arose to his feet, and said with a hesitating 
voice: “Gentlemen, Mr. Gambrill has lost some money, 
which was paid to him this evening. He placed it in the 
cash drawer at his office, and locked it. You have heard the 
rest of the story; how Walter came into the office, and found 
James there. He also found this key in the drawer, which 
he gave to Mr. Gambrill as he went home past the hotel. 
Roy has told us where that key came from. I have always 
admired James, and still believe in his integrity and honesty. 
It is with heartfelt sympathy for him that I accede to the 
wishes of Mr. Gambrill, and the testimony which we have 
just heard. I am forced to hold James in custody until the 
next term of court, when he will be given a fair trial.” 

When the Squire stopped, James stood up, and taking him 
by the arm, he said, “Do you mean that Mr. Gambrill accuses 
me, and that I must go to jail? ” 

“I’m afraid so,” replied the Squire. 

As the sheriff led James from the room to the jail across 
the street, he went with bowed head and a sinking heart. “My 
poor mother,” he said, as he entered the jail. 

While he was spending his first sleepless night in the jail, 
continuously pacing the length of his cell, Colonel Riddle, 
gentleman that he was, spent the night with Mrs. Purnell 


The Dreams of Youth 


33 


and Mrs. Scarborough. They, too, spent the night without 
sleep, and the Colonel was able to give the mother much 
comfort in her sorrow. Early in the morning she seemed 
to become more composed, and said: “I can never believe my 
son is a thief.” 

“Your son is not the thief; but he had no chance to prove 
it,” the Colonel quietly assured her. 

“I am glad you think so, Colonel Riddle. James had no 
reason to steal. It is true that we do not have much; but 
we have enough to keep us comfortably. This house is not 
very good, but we are planning to move back to the old 
home where we lived before Mr. Purnell died. It is much 
nearer James’s work. But I reckon it doesn’t make any 
difference now. James will have to find something else to 
do.” 

“That will not be hard for him to do; I have an offer 
waiting him now.” 

“But that horrible jail; I never dreamed that my son 
would ever be placed in there.” 

“We will get him out of there in the morning. He is not 
the first innocent man who has spent a night or two in jail. 
Prison does not mean the same, when an innocent man is 
forced to remain in it. Many have found prisons veritable 
havens of safety.” 

In such ways the Colonel proved, not only his friendship 
for those who were unfortunate, but also his devotion to 
right and justice. When he promised that James would be 
gotten out of the jail in the morning, it meant that he would 
leave nothing undone that would aid him in accomplishing 
his purpose. Thanks be to God that the better portions of 
this world are ruled by such men. 


CHAPTER III 


THE COLONEL AND HIS NEW ENTERPRISE 

The first man who called at the jail in the morning was 
the beloved pastor of the Makemie Memorial Church, James’ 
pastor. He was known as Pastor McMaster by the people 
for many miles along the Pocomoke River. He ministered 
to the churches established by Rev. Francis Makemie, who 
came from Ireland as one of the first missionaries to this 
continent. Yet we, who have so greatly benefitted from these 
men who were the stewards of God, object strenuously when 
we are asked to support a man who has gone, with the mes¬ 
sage that has saved us, to the unsaved in some other part of 
the world. These churches, to which Pastor McMaster min¬ 
istered, were the Makemie Memorial; Pitts’s Creek, at Poco¬ 
moke City; and Old Rehoboth, at Rehoboth on the Poco¬ 
moke, the most beautiful river of Maryland. It was at this 
last named place that Rev. Francis Makemie landed when he 
arrived from Ireland; it was here that he built the first 
church, from the pines of the forest, which he named 
Rehoboth (room for more) after getting the aid of Colonel 
Stevenson, one of the most influential and progressive men 
on the Shore at that time. The Rehoboth Church, which 
has been rebuilt several times, is still standing on the land 
given by Colonel Stevenson. 

While the sheriff was eating his breakfast he was inter¬ 
rupted by the minister, who asked for permission to see 
James. He was immediately admitted into James’ cell. This 
fine man was the only man of the whole town who carried 
the burdens of everybody on his shoulders; yet no one who 
saw him would ever suspect him of ever thinking of his 


The Colonel and His New Enterprise 35 

neighbor. Some men cannot even give a penny to a blind 
man, without publishing it abroad for their eternal glory; 
while men of McMaster’s calibre are bulwarks of the needy, 
storehouses of the hungry, weavers for the ragged, physi¬ 
cians of the soul to those in prison, and mouthpieces of God 
to everybody, without the sound of a trumpet, or a harp, to 
their praise. Some men have that mysterious power about 
them. Some men, after talking for five minutes; and some 
women, for thirty-five, leave with us memories that conjure 
up within us only that which is unpleasant and disagreeable; 
torrents of fault-finding; complaints of fellow-men; unfair¬ 
ness, censoriousness, harsh judgments that continuously re¬ 
mind us of them afterwards. But with Mr. McMaster life 
seemed different. He reminded his friends of unselfishness; 
he was the personification of unselfishness; people saw no 
clouds of gloom, no disagreeable scenes, no petty ills that 
only multiply with the telling, after a conversation with him. 
If these things ever affected him (and no doubt they did) 
the effect was seen only in his own home. As he greeted 
James that morning, he reminded him of loyalty, of friend¬ 
ship, of usefulness. James grasped his hand; his out¬ 
stretched, generous hand, as if clinging to a last straw, but 
said nothing. It was not necessary. He was understood, as 
scores before him were understood, by this righteous prince 
of God and men. 

“We are going to get you out of here,” his old friend and 
pastor told him. 

“God knows I did not take that money, Pastor McMaster.” 

“But men do not know it; that is the trouble. Men are 
fallible; God infallible. He judges righteous judgment. 
Men, with all their knowledge, seem very ignorant. Very, 
very few know themselves; how can they dare to pretend 
knowledge of others. Mr. Mason knew business methods; 
but he did not know himself. He will be taken home this 
morning by the undertaker. Because men lack this knowl- 


36 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


edge of themselves, they make numerous resolutions that 
they do not keep. We condemn others for their mistakes, 
and weaknesses; then become victims of our own frailties.” 

James was very anxious to ask something concerning his 
mother, but hesitated. His pastor, seeming to read his 
thoughts, continued: “Your mother is very cheerful this 
morning. She will be here soon with Colonel Riddle. I 
came in advance in order to prepare you for her visit. 
Colonel Riddle stayed with her last night; you have a great 
friend in the Colonel. He joins others of your friends in 
believing that you are innocent. There are two things, how¬ 
ever, that must be cleared up: Roy Gordy’s statement, and 
Walter Whaley’s persistence that you are guilty.” 

James was on the point of making a retort against his 
former friend, but his better nature exerted itself, and he 
refrained. He then told the pastor the incidents of the previ¬ 
ous day as we know them. 

While James Purnell was relating this story his mother 
and Colonel Riddle arrived and were ushered in by the 
sheriff, who left all together in the cell. The mother clung to 
her son for some time, but there was no demonstration of 
despair, such as is frequently witnessed between a woman 
and her son who is guilty of some crime. Yet the spirits of 
both mother and son were wounded. Had it not been for 
the two friends that were with them, they may have lost all 
of their faith in mankind, and even in their God. 

When they left James they promised to do all that possibly 
could be done to free his name from guilt. James was in a 
much happier mood, and although he felt very bitter towards 
Mr. Gambrill, Whaley, and Gordy, the conversation with 
his staunch friends left him with the conviction that justice 
would be meted out to him, and the real culprit, whoever he 
was, would be reprehended. For some reason he had come 
to place great reliance in Colonel Riddle, and confidently be- 


The Colonel and His New Enterprise 37 

lieved that, by the efforts of him and Mr. McMaster, he 
would be liberated until his trial, at least. 

The three friends separated on the steps of the court¬ 
house; Mrs. Purnell returned to her home, but the men 
went to the office of Mr. Gambrill. 

As they passed down the street, Mr. McMaster suggested 
that they stop at the shop of Roy Gordy. His shop was off 
the street a few feet, in an alleyway. When they entered the 
door Roy looked up from his work with much surprise. It is 
true that Mr. McMaster had often before been to see him, 
for his wife was a member of Makemie Church, and Roy had 
often accompanied her to the services; but the fact that he 
was accompanied by Colonel Riddle seemed to be a disturb¬ 
ing element for a moment. Mr. McMaster introduced the 
Colonel to Roy, who then apologized for not having chairs 
to offer them. 

“We are not accustomed to finding chairs in a busy man’s 
shop,” remarked Colenel Riddle, as he seated himself com¬ 
fortably on a work-bench. “I have been told that you are a 
good mechanic, Mr. Gordy. Now I am looking for a handy 
man with tools. In building my factory, and placing the 
machinery you will be very useful. I can give you work if 
you care to do it. How about it ? ” 

“When did you want me to start ? ” 

“In about one week; we are going to start the building to¬ 
morrow.” 

“I reckon I can help you.” 

“All right; I will see you again in a few days.” 

After some casual remarks, the visitors naturally referred 
to the incident of the past evening. Gordy told them the 
same story, however, that he had told at the trial. He 
declared again that the drawing had been given him by Jim; 
that he had made the key for him; and that he had paid for 
it. The visitors saw no way of getting help from him. 

When they left the shop both men expressed their con- 


38 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


viction that Gordy had lied. Mr. McMaster, especially, rec¬ 
ognized that his story had not been told in the straightfor¬ 
ward, direct habit of speech generally used by Gordy, and he 
remarked to his companion: “Although I cannot guess his 
motive, I am convinced that Gordy is not telling the truth. 
He has always been known to be honest, at least. He spends 
nearly all that he makes for drink; but I have never known 
his efforts to satisfy his thirst, to be the cause of his com¬ 
mitting a crime.” 

The two men found Mr. Gambrill at the office,, but natur¬ 
ally in an ill humor. Not only had he lost his money, but 
he had also lost two helpers. James was in prison, accused 
of theft; and Whaley had resigned that morning, stating that 
he had two reasons for doing so. 

“I have joined Colonel Riddle’s company; and I feel that 
it is due to my neglect, somewhat, that the money is gone. 
I had intended to be out of the office only a few minutes; but 
it took me longer than I had expected to measure that pile of 
lumber brought by Capt’n Howard.” 

Mr. Gambrill had replied, “Well, Walter, I am sorry to 
lose you at this time; yet I do not blame you for neglect of 
duty, for we often leave the office open while we attend 
to work in the yard. Such a thing as stealing is hardly 
known in our community, especially in broad daylight.” 

In spite of his mood, however, the two men were able to 
persuade Gambrill to give his permission to have James re¬ 
leased from prison, until his trial. Colonel Riddle guaran¬ 
teed his appearance at court or to repay the stolen money. 
This was many years before the modern system of giving 
bail was so extensively practiced. In those days a man re¬ 
mained in the jail until released by being proven innocent, 
even though falsely accused. To-day the professional bonds¬ 
man, for a few dollars, is ready to give bail to any man who 
is able to receive permission from the court. And this per¬ 
mission is given in almost all cases except that of murder; 


The Colonel and His New Enterprise 39 

then sometimes the murderer is given his freedom. The 
modern system may be the better; but it is not producing the 
better results. On the contrary, it is the opinion of many 
thinking men that it is increasing crime by allowing many 
law-breakers to be free and to continue to prey upon the 
public until the day of conviction. These advocates of 
leniency, who accuse prison methods of the past of being 
the cause of criminality, have not solved the problem, for 
crime is greatly increasing. They would make the life of the 
criminal a bed of roses with his victims as his chambermaids 
and butlers. This is felt to be one of the greatest con¬ 
tributing causes to the present lawless age. This condition 
prevails practically everywhere, except in those states where 
the citizens are organized to do that which the proper au¬ 
thorities fail to do. In the State of Delaware the whipping 
post is still in use, and, although no one advocates a return 
to barbarism, this method of punishment seems to keep the 
criminal from that State. If the penalty is not severe 
enough to cause fear in the hearts of the lawless, the law- 
abiding citizen will have little comfort or safety. 

After receiving Mr. Gambrill’s permission, it was com¬ 
paratively easy to have James released. When they returned 
to the jail, they carried an order from the judge to Sheriff 
Scarborough, and James was allowed to leave his cell. 

His greatest desire, after the shock of being placed in 
prison, was to be believed innocent by his friends. He was 
now able to see them again; but it is immeasurably easier 
to be released from stone and iron, than from the fickle minds 
of our fellows. He was greeted coldly by some, slighted by 
others, and even insulted by the most thoughtless. Even the 
dogs, which he had fed, seemed now to turn from him as 
one infected with a dread disease. He thought of the note 
which he had scribbled in his memorandum; he wondered 
whether the one who had read that note, would, with the 
others, consider him guilty. He resolved to find out. By 


40 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


this time he had arrived at home, where his mother was ex¬ 
pecting him, for she felt assured that he would be released. 

“We have been expecting you, James,” she cordially said. 

“I am glad to be home, certainly,” he answered. 

One of their neighbors, Mrs. Ward, was present with his 
mother. She had the reputation of being in the right place 
at the right time, for she seemed to know by instinct where 
she was needed. Sometimes, however, her abrupt mode of 
expressing her thoughts cut like a whip, but she was a great 
favorite, nevertheless. She made no allusion to the night 
spent in the jail, however, but talked of much that had hap¬ 
pened, and of much that was expected to happen. She spoke, 
especially, of the new factory, and announced that Colonel 
Riddle expected to return to Philadelphia within a few days, 
in order to bring his family, four very attractive daughters, 
to live with him. They had planned to stay at the home of 
Clifton Irvin for some time. Nan Irvin had planned several 
social events for them: a dance, to be given on the next night 
after their arrival; a sailing party down the Pocomoke; a 
trip to the Nassawadox Iron Furnace; and several others. 
Did they know that Walter Whaley had become a member 
of the firm of Colonel Riddle? Yes, he would probably be¬ 
come one of the officers. That was the report anyhow. Had 
they heard about the will of Mr. Mason? Well, it had been 
read, and everything had been given to his son, who was at 
the head of the business. 

The truth of the matter was, that the will had not been 
read; yet so anxious is the public to learn how a man has 
disposed of his property, that speculation is rife even be¬ 
fore the corpse is laid away. So many guesses are hazarded 
that someone is bound to be right; and it proved that Mrs. 
Ward had ventured upon the truth this time. The other 
members of Mr. Mason’s family had despised him while he 
lived; the some who helped him in the store profited by their 
patricidal hate. In this manner Mrs. Ward rambled on from 


The Colonel and His New Enterprise 41 

one thing to another, without allowing her hearers a chance 
to answer, except by nod or gesture of assent. 

When she had gone James expressed to his mother his 
intention of seeing Mr. Gambrill. His mother prepared 
him something to eat, for he had hardly tasted the prison 
fare. When he had finished his meal, he started to the office 
of Mr. Gambrill. 

As he passed the home of Clifton Irvin he was hailed by 
Colonel Riddle, who joined him. “I am going as far as the 
Post Office, James; and as I want to talk to you a few mo¬ 
ments, we will go down together. Where are you going ? ” 
the Colonel asked. 

“To Mr. Gambrill’s.” 

“Be prepared to find him very bitter; he is sure that you 
have the money, or that you know where it is. As you must 
know, many others feel the same way about it. I like your 
spirit, however; many a boy in your position would run from 
such conditions, thus fastening the blame the stronger upon 
them. But you stay and fight it down. ‘The guilty flee when 
no man pursueth!’ ” 

“I don’t blame Mr. Gambrill for being bitter, but I cannot 
help feeling somehow, the injustice he has done me in be¬ 
lieving me guilty. I wanted to talk to him again, if he will 
hear me.” 

“What I wanted to speak to you about is this: Tomorrow 
I am going to Philadelphia, where I will remain about three 
days. When I return I want you to help me at the factory; 
we will begin it immediately. I would like to have it com¬ 
pleted by Christmas.” 

“All right, sir; I am very grateful for your friendship, 
and will do anything that I can for you.” 

“I don’t want you to feel that I am giving you this work 
from a sense of duty; I want your services, and at the same 
time, I want you to feel that I trust you. I want to tell 
you a little story that I heard many years ago. A great 


42 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


building was in the process of building. The workmen had 
gotten as far as the laying of the corner-stone. Speakers 
had been engaged to make the addresses, and many visitors 
were expected. But after the date had been announced the 
newspapers were asked to publish a postponement, because 
the corner-stone could not be found. It had been lost, some¬ 
how, when the material had been brought. People were 
disappointed, plans were overturned, but nothing could be 
done until the stone was found. 

“‘What is the use of making so much fuss about it?' 
one young man asked his uncle, who was one of the builders. 
‘One stone is as good as another, and I should think they 
could fix up another one, and go ahead without disappoint¬ 
ing everybody!’ 

“ ‘Any stone that a man can fix up isn’t a corner-stone/ 
his uncle answered. ‘What it is made of, and what it stands 
for, gives character to the building. There is too much 
carelessness in the matter of foundations nowadays; a good 
many things are being built without proper corner-stones. 
This isn’t right nor safe; good builders don’t work that way.’ 

“That man was right. It is not only true of buildings; it 
is also true of human lives. Many are satisfied to remain 
mere bricks in the building of society. It is true that we 
need many bricks; bricks that are much alike; but we must 
have the corner-stones. Keep within your life the principles 
that give strength and nobility of character; then you will 
become a corner-stone. 

“Sometimes our corner-stones of character disappear with¬ 
out our being fully conscious of when and how. Old faith 
slips away; old standards are broken down; and life is not 
built on firm foundations. Sometimes it is wrong habits; 
sometimes temptations that change our attitudes concerning 
moral life. Live in a high plane of action and our souls will 
have within them the attributes that steady the outer life. 
Strive to be a corner-stone.” 


The Colonel and His New Enterprise 43 

They separated at the Post Office: James continued down 
Washington Street, and stopped at the office of the Lumber 
Company. When Mr. Gambrill looked up from his books 
his countenance expressed the emotions of his heart. Rage 
was first revealed; but something about the attitude of his 
former clerk, seemed to touch the better self within the 
business man, for his expression speedily changed to some¬ 
thing akin to pity. He heard James with patience as he again 
declared his innocence and his hopes that his former em¬ 
ployer would try to think differently of him. 

When he had finished, Mr. Gambrill seemed to be touched 
by James’ appeal, for he simply, but quietly said: “I hope it 
proves to be so at the trial. I suppose a man is innocent un¬ 
til he is proven guilty.” 

James thought, “If the innocent are always proven so, 
then I am safe,” but he said no more, fearing that he would 
endanger himself farther in the man’s opinion. 

Mr. Gambrill then returned to his books, and James, 
feeling that he desired to end the interview, left the office. 
In order to reach home quicker, he walked through the lum¬ 
ber yard, where he met Uncle Israel, who was doing his best 
to keep the yard in some kind of order. “Well, Mistah 
Jim, yo’ los’ yo’ah job, ’cause yo’ am reckoned a thief, but 
yo’ ain’t no thief,” the old darkey said. “Ah had a dream 
las’ night, dis ole Niggah did, ’cause yisterday a rabbit done 
cross my paff as ah come heah. Dat am a shuah sign some- 
pin a’gwin to happen. Las’ night it done happen. Dough I 
carry a rabbit’s foot aroun’ my neck, it didn’ charm de 
spirits away. Dey played aroun’ my baid mos’ all night. 
Den tow’ds mornin’ de Debbil come fer dis Niggah. Ah 
tho’t he had ole Israel sho’ ’nuff. Ah leaped straight up in 
baid, an’ my haid struck the pos’ kerflam. But de Debil, he 
say, 'Ah don’ want yo’ all, Niggah; yo’ no thief. Yo’ ain’ 
got since enough to steal,’ an’ ah say, ‘That’s right, Mistah 
Debbil, yo’ let dis ole Niggah be.’ Den sho’ as yo’ all’s born, 



44 The Gentleman From Maryland 

chile, he whispah de name ob de thief, an’ he say, ‘De nex’ 
time ah come ah fin’ de thief at de bottom ob de rivah, right 
below dat bridge.’ Den he adds, solemn like, ‘Look heah 
Niggah, don’ yo’ go ’roun’ tellin’ who dat man is, or I’ll 
have yoah hide an’ wool in a jiffy. Let dat man lib’ ’till ah 
needs him.’ Den ah answer, ‘Mistah Debbil, ah’s a nignerant 
black man, but ah ain’t no fool; yo’ hab’ to be mighty smaht 
if yo’ git dis coon’s wool an’ hide. I’s black, but ah ain’t 
no fool!’ Yo’ all jes’ wait, Mistah Jim, an’ see what de 
Debbil say’ll come true.” 

“Let it be right soon, Uncle! I don’t want to wait too 
long.” James answered. 

“Yo’ won’t hab’ long to wait, honey; mebby several years, 
mebby several days. De Debbil don’ work very fas’, but his 
work am mighty well done.” 

As James passed on through the yard, he passed the pile 
of boards where he sat that day as he wrote the note in his 
memorandum. Now he thought again of the words of 
Nellie Bratten: “You may always count on my help, if I am 
able to aid you.” 

He believed that she had meant it; but, as on that day, she 
was not able to aid him, unless she would remain the friend 
she had been. Earlier in the day he had resolved to see her; 
but several days passed before he discovered what her real 
attitude toward him was. In spite of the fact that he had 
been at her house many times, he felt that he could not call 
under the circumstances. It may have been because of the 
deference he felt for her family; it may have been because 
he feared that she might not believe him. In the latter case 
suspense would be easier to bear than knowledge, for he 
loved her better than any woman, except his mother. Also 
he had learned that Walter Whaley was a constant visitor 
at her home, and jealousy overbalanced prudence. He 
might meet Whaley there; a circumstance for which he had 
not the least desire. His opportunity came, however, in an 


The Colonel and His New Enterprise 


45 


unexpected way, and with little effort on his part. Thus a 
certain fate arranges events, sometimes, in spite of our de¬ 
sire not to have it so. 


CHAPTER IV 


THE POCOMOKE IS ROBBED 

One of the oldest and most influential residents of Snow 
Hill was Clifton Irvin, whose ancestors, having come from 
the well-known suburb of London to escape the dangers that 
befell many of the regecides, are believed to have named 
their new home after their old one, Snow Hill, who lived in 
the mansion on the corner of Church and Federal Streets. 
This house was one of the finest in the town, having been 
well cared for, for it had belonged in the Irvin family ever 
since the land, on which it stood, had been taken by that 
follower of Cromwell, who had given the name to the town. 
The house was surrounded by several native trees, which 
added greatly to the beauty and the seclusion of the place. 
Mr. Irvin was a typical gentleman of the old school, who 
took great pride in the fact that the name which he bore 
had been associated with the development of the community 
from the beginning. He was the owner of several farms, 
he had been clerk of the court, and was now a politician of 
no ill repute. There was, perhaps, one name better known 
than that of Irvin in the community, although at the present 
time, it was not represented by either wealth or influence. 
The name Purnell can be found on Maryland’s Declaration 
of Independence, having been placed there, with the other 
signers from Worcester County, by the first settler of that 
name. Owing to very unfortunate circumstances the ma¬ 
terial resources of the family had been much reduced, but 
the fame of the family remained. Its first bearers had great 
tasks to perform, such as freeing their state and country 
from imposition and injustice; conquering the wilderness; 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 47 

and establishing fairness and equality among their neigh¬ 
bors. The remaining descendant had a task just as great, 
namely, freeing that name from the stigma of crime and re¬ 
proach. With this one exception, Irvin was the oldest and 
most respected name of the vicinity. 

The wife and mother of the Irvin home had been dead 
for some time, and the family was without that wholesome 
influence that softens all the relationships of humanity, yet 
Nan Irvin, the oldest daughter, was rapidly becoming her 
mother's counterpart. There was also a son, Howard, who 
made lively the social affairs which were held under their 
roof, and a younger sister, who aided him. These social af¬ 
fairs had been numerous during the last few years, for their 
home was famous for the hospitality and generosity shown 
toward all guests. The son was an open-faced, gentle, good- 
natured, young man, fond of all out-door sports, who seemed 
to take particular pride in the fact that he was the guardian 
of two very attractive sisters. This trust had been very un¬ 
expectedly doubled since his father's friendship with Colonel 
Riddle. Now six girls were living in the same house with 
him. He had thought Rose Buckingham the prettiest girl 
that he knew, but now he had his doubts; this quartet of 
Riddle sisters was rapidly forcing all previous opinions in 
the background. Katherine Riddle, the oldest of the sisters, 
might easily gain first place in his admiration. He was forced 
to admit it; just a few hours in her presence, and he was 
dangerously near a precipice of doubt. Yet he must be 
very careful that no one else discover it; but his old love 
conquered, for he had been engaged to Rose for some time. 
He was not the kind that easily change the old for the new. 

The Riddle family had been with them for several days 
now, having come from Philadelphia to Pocomoke City by 
train then by boat to Snow Hill. Work on the factory had 
been progressing rapidly since the arrival of Colonel Riddle; 
two dwelling houses had been started, a store and post 


48 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


office had been built; but the site had not been named. Some 
called it Scratch Gravel; some gave it the name of Turkey 
Trap; but these names did not satisfy the Colonel, who 
wished it to have a more romantic name. This name would 
be chosen on the following day, by the young people, who 
had planned a visit to the place for the purpose of choosing 
a suitable name. In the evening, after their return, there 
was to be a dance at the Irvin’s, to which many of the 
younger people from distant points had been invited, in order 
to meet the guests. Preparations had been in progress for 
some time now, for much was to be done before the guests 
began to arrive on the following day. In those days it was 
necessary to entertain many from a distance during the 
night, for it was impossible to make long drives before the 
next day. The automobile has eliminated that necessity, but 
has introduced the greatest evil of modern times. Young 
people, after dancing until after midnight, make long trips 
in crowded cars during the early hours of the morning, under 
conditions conducive to immorality. 

The trip to the site of the factory was a memorable one 
for several members of the party. The party traveled by 
boat to the river crossing near the factory, where they were 
met by teams which took them to the buildings. There were 
few bridges across the river at this time, crossings being 
made by means of ferries. This crossing at which the party 
stopped, was known as Mattaponi. It is situated about mid¬ 
way between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City. At this point 
the party left the boat, and went to the site of the factory 
by land. 

Many of the names of places on the Eastern Shore, as in 
other parts of our country, have Indian origins, and a tra¬ 
dition concerning the manner in which this ferry received 
its name is very interesting. An old Indian chief, so the 
story goes, arrived at the crossing late one night, after the 
ingenuity of the white man had built a boat in order to make 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 


49 


the crossing safer for the traveler. It is impossible to ford 
the Pocomoke River unless one is a fine swimmer. The old 
Indian found that the boat was on the opposite side of the 
stream, and decided to wait until morning. Having placed 
his mat upon the ground he lay upon it, and was soon 
asleep. When he awoke in the morning the mat was upon 
him. In trying to relate the incident to the ferryman, the 
Indian, in his efforts to speak English, said something like 
this: “When I sleep, I upon mat; when I wake, mat upon I.” 
The ferryman answered, “We will call this place Matuponi.” 
The spelling of the name has changed, but the sound is 
practically the same, Mattaponi. 

Colonel Riddle then met them at the site of the factory; he 
pointed out to them the positions of the different dwellings 
and storehouses; then said to them: “Now for a name, young 
folks; we must have a good name for our miniature city. 
Who knows but that this place will soon become the rival of 
Pocomoke City and Snow Hill.” 

Several names were immediately suggested, such as Rid¬ 
dle’s Cross Roads, Riddleton, Pine Park, Lindsayville, and 
many others, but the Colonel did not seem to be satisfied 
with any of them, for he remarked, “It seems as hard to 
name this place as it is the twelfth child of a family.” 

Then Mr. Irvin, who had accompanied the young people 
made a suggestion. 

“My friends,” he said. “Let’s follow the fashion of the 
Indian. The Susquehanna is a combination of the names 
of three Indian squaws who were the wives of three chiefs 
that lived along its banks, according to tradition. Now Col¬ 
onel, you have four daughters, Katherine, Laura, Elizabeth, 
and Jane; we will combine the first or initial letter of each 
name to form the word Klej. Then we will add the word 
Grange. We then have the name, Klej Grange, which sounds 
romantic enough to me. How does' it strike you ? ” 

It was decided that the name be accepted, and the village 


50 The Gentleman From Maryland 

bears that name until this day, although almost all of the 
houses have disappeared. 

Klej Grange is situated in the apex of a triangle, having 
as its base a line drawn from Snow Hill to Pocomoke City. 
It is on the east side of the state road between those two 
towns, in the heart of a large farming community that 
stretches from the Pocomoke to the waters of the Sinepuxent 
Bay, on the Atlantic Coast. The town of Sandy Hill, now 
Stockton, became the headquarters of the workmen, because 
it was only about two miles distant. Here there was a fine 
hotel, which had the reputation of being the finest conducted 
on the Shore. The fame of its meals was known to all 
travelers who visited the lower part of the region. Many a 
salesman has been known to drive from the towns of Snow 
Hill and Pocomoke City in order to enjoy the bountiful 
food to be had for less money than he was charged for 
ordinary meals in the other places. Then there were sev¬ 
eral stores in Stockton, where liquor could be found in great 
abundance. Colonel Riddle allowed no liquor to flow in his 
new town. Also the men felt more at liberty to act without 
restraint, there being a more democratic spirit manifested 
in Stockton. Snow Hill, being the county seat, was princi¬ 
pally made up of lawyers, politicians, and employees of the 
county government. The citizens encouraged no industries 
to build there; even the families of the merchants, with the 
exception of the Whaleys, were not considered worthy of 
social recognition. They had to work for their living. The 
society of the place lived on the labors of others. Poco¬ 
moke City was the industrial center, and has become one 
of the most important towns on the Shore. It had a ship¬ 
yard, several factories, many stores and banks, and was 
situated on the railroad. It grew because it encouraged the 
business man. From the earliest times a spirit of rivalry has 
existed between the citizens of the two towns, for those of 
the former were jealous of the business ability displayed by 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 


51 


their neighbors. A peculiar trait of human character is its 
inability to see and appreciate the desire that one man may 
have for something that we do not want. Pocomoke City 
grew because there was a desire for growth; Snow Hill has 
remained merely a county seat because there existed no de¬ 
sire to become anything else, and for that reason industries 
have never been encouraged. Chiefly for that reason Colonel 
Riddle built his new town in the pines. 

As the young people watched the pieces of lumber being 
placed in the factory building an incident occurred which was 
destined to open the possibility of a close friendship between 
several of those present at that time. Several workmen were 
raising a large corner post in place in the structure. To do 
this the post had to be raised to an upright position, so that 
the tenon of the post would fall into the mortise of the sill. 
While several of the men, by means of pike poles, were 
raising this large upright, James Purnell, by means of a 
large crowbar, was guiding the lower end into place. But 
this bar slipped as the post reached a vertical position. It 
started to fall outward from the building directly above the 
group of visitors that were watching the men. 

“Look out! ” shouted one of the workmen, as he started 
to run to safety. Every man but James dropped his pike, 
and followed the first man’s example. James saw the group 
of visitors, with Colonel Riddle, directly in the path of the 
falling timber. Of course they did not realize the danger as 
quickly as the men, but James, with quick perception of their 
danger, forgot his own perilous position on the high sill, and 
threw his whole weight against the post, checking its pro¬ 
gress enough to give the young people time to move out of 
danger. Then he jumped; but he was too late. When the 
upper end of the post struck the ground the end to which 
James had held bounded from the foundation, striking him 
on the ankle. Although no great injury was done to his 


52 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


ankle, the bruise was severe enough to hinder him from 
working for several days. 

It was also severe enough to prevent his return home on 
horseback that evening. As the members of the party were 
taking their places in the wagon for the return to the boat, 
Colonel Riddle suggested that James better go with them. 
It would be easier on his foot, he said. 

Thus it came about that the boat which returned to Snow 
Hill carried back a passenger that it had not taken away 
when it sailed. That same passenger was none other than 
the young man, who was practically ostracized by the ma¬ 
jority of his former friends and associates. It was not his 
desire to be with them, but the plan of his friend, Mr. Riddle. 

James was not a little abashed to find himself in the com¬ 
pany of these young people. He had always felt somewhat 
in awe of the Irvins, especially Nan. It was claimed that 
she had more admirers than any other girl on the Shore; 
yet she had successfully held them all in check until she had 
reached her twenty-fourth birthday. Being several years 
older than James, he had always looked upon her with that 
reverence and respect shown by all boys, during their school 
days, to the larger girls of the school. She was tall, with 
dark hair, and eyes of almost the same color, which, to¬ 
gether with the gentle undulating grace of her erect, self- 
reliant figure, and her lips, slightly parted, gave her the 
bearing of a queen. 

The chivalry, for which the South has always been noted, 
recognizes all respectable women as queens. They are the 
only queens recognized here; the queens of the homes. The 
children are still taught to honor them as such. When the 
Cavalier, and the Huguenot came to the shores of America 
they had been courtiers of queens and princesses; they had 
addressed them as “Madam” and their kings as “Sire.” In 
ordinary conversation with the reigning personages they had 
answered them with a “Yes, Sire,” or “Yes, Madam.” In 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 


53 


this new world they continued to use these terms of majesty; 
this form of respectful address, when speaking to their 
mothers, wives, or sisters. Their mothers were their queens, 
their fathers were their kings, and their sisters were their 
princesses. The forms have been shortened into “Ma’am,” 
and “Sir,” and are still in use. It is charged by some that 
these forms have come from the Negro slave. But that 
charge is very wrong. The slave learned from the children 
of the man in the south. Who is more worthy to be recog¬ 
nized thus than our mothers, wives, or sisters? Chiefly for 
this reason those born below the Mason and Dixon line are 
quickly identified when traveling north of that line. Also for 
this reason, together with the fact that the milder climate 
has softened the voice, and smoothed the sounds of words 
ending with the harsher consonants, our Northern kin have 
accused us of talking like the Negroes. This is also an un¬ 
just charge; the Negroes talk like the people with whom 
they were thrown, or to whom they were sold by the North¬ 
ern trader. We have taught them; it is one of the things of 
which the true Southerner is proud; what the Negro knows, 
he has learned from home. He is proud of his speech, his 
courteous manners, and deference and respect that he has 
been taught to pay to women and old people; it is one of the 
accomplishments that cannot be imitated fully by those who 
do not belong to that section. It marks the Southern gentle¬ 
man anywhere, for these customs are not limited to his home; 
they are practiced wherever he is found. 

As James took his place in the boat for the return, he was 
conscious of this feeling toward Nan Irvin, but he was soon 
set at his ease by her cordial smile of welcome. That smile 
proved again her beautiful character. She was too large of 
heart to accuse him, and large enough to make him feel 
welcome after Colonel Riddle had put him with her party. 
If he had been a criminal she would have treated him in the 
same manner. She was his hostess. His first thought was 


54 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


that the Riddles had been told of his misfortune, but this was 
not true. He later decided that he had been wrong. They 
included him in the general conversation, even Howard Irvin, 
who had charge of the boat, complimented him for his quick 
action that probably saved some of them from severe injury. 
James tried very hard to enter into the spirit of merriment 
and laughter of his companions; yet no matter how often he 
accused himself of being stupid, he could not break the spell 
cast upon him by being judged a thief. Sometimes he felt 
that, if he could remain in the presence of these people, he 
would be able to forgive those who had so easily turned their 
backs upon him. 

The art of forgiveness is not one easily accomplished. We 
fight and hate one another many times without a cause; but 
what does it amount to in the end, even if we have a cause. 
The new commandment urges us to love our enemies. If 
we cannot go that far, we can let him alone to enjoy the mire 
of his own malicious puddle. The Indian has gross instincts 
and blood-curdling brutality characteristic of his race. They 
cannot forget because they cannot forgive. A man becomes 
an Indian when he treasures up a wrong, attends an injury, 
or allows hatred of any kind to take possession of his heart. 
These things poison the mind, and as a drop of leaven in 
the batch of dough, the whole disposition is soon changed 
into something different. If it is not counterchanged by the 
heat of a Godly affection, the inner man becomes sour and 
perverted from both happiness and success. If we could at 
least forgive, even if we could not forget, our ways would 
become favorable to man, and our lives acceptable to God. 

James’ thoughts and the attitude of his companions were 
leading him to take this more sensible view of his situation 
when they were interrupted by Jane Irvin, who seated her¬ 
self near him as she remarked: “Does your ankle give you 
much pain ? ” 

“He answered, “It seems to be swelling, and my shoe is 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 


55 


pressing it considerably. I have loosened the string, but it 
does not seem to relieve it.” 

“Why don’t you take it off?” she asked, solicitously. 

James hesitated, but young Irvin, who had heard his re¬ 
mark, urged him to do as Jane told him. James then re¬ 
moved the shoe, thus giving the blood more room to circu¬ 
late, causing the pain to be somewhat alleviated. 

One of the pleasures that is passing with the age is sailing. 
In the days of this story sailing was at the height of its 
glory. Nearly everybody who lived near the water was the 
owner of a sailboat. But the gasoline engine is rapidly dis¬ 
placing it. It requires no skill whatever to operate a gaso¬ 
line engine. With sailing it is different; it is real sport to 
sail a boat, because it requires much skill to operate the sails 
in the varying winds. Then a sailboat is more pleasant in 
many ways. It is more quiet; for the explosions of the ex¬ 
haust on the gasoline boat are deafening as well as sickening. 
There is some danger in sailing that does not accompany the 
launch, but that only adds to the charm and fascination of 
this pleasure. When the edge of the boat is dipping nearly 
to the surface of the water, and the spray is lightly flying 
into the faces of the passengers, then it is joy and danger 
combined. 

As the boat neared the landing on its return the wind 
caught the sail with tremendous force, causing the boat to 
dip to an angle of almost forty-five degrees, and some of the 
river water came over the boat upon Jane Riddle. Being 
unaccustomed to sailing, she jumped to her feet, in order 
to change to the high side of the boat, just as Howard Irvin 
allowed the boom to swing across the boat, so that it would 
not catch so much wind. The boom struck the girl about 
the waist, knocking her into the river. In an instant she 
had disappeared under the dark waters, stained nearly to 
blackness by their course through the cypress swamps that 
border on its edges. The occupants of the boat seemed petri- 


56 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


fied with fright. Then Katherine Riddle screamed as an¬ 
other splash was heard, not nearly so loud as the first. 
James Purnell had followed the girl to the dark recesses of 
the river. 

It seemed, to those in the boat, many minutes before they 
saw either of them appear again; then both appeared at the 
same time several feet down stream from the spot where 
they had disappeared. James was clutching the girl by the 
hair with one hand, while he struggled against the water 
with the other. 

It is claimed that the Pocomoke is the most treacherous 
river of any in Maryland, or Virginia, having claimed more 
lives than any of them. The tides of the Chesapeake Bay 
affect its waters to their very source. Only expert swim¬ 
mers attempt to go into it, and many of them have been 
drowned by its treacherous currents. Shortly before this, 
Mr. Gambrill, while standing at his office window, watch¬ 
ing his son and a companion, who were on the river in a 
small sail-boat, saw his son fall overboard and disappear. 
The body was later picked up far out in the bay by a passing 
boat. But James was an expert swimmer; yet, with the 
weight of the girl on one arm, and the handicap of an in¬ 
jured foot, it was impossible for him to move against the out¬ 
going tide. They were slowly moving down the river toward 
the Chesapeake when a boat came to their rescue. The 
screams of the girls in the boat had attracted several men, 
who were working in the lumber yard, who quickly got into 
a rowboat, and aided James in saving the girl. 

Jane had been unconscious for some time when landed, 
and James was almost at the point of exhaustion. But the 
river had been robbed of two victims by the quick action 
and skill of James. There was great rejoicing by the young 
people when Jane at last opened her eyes, under the ad¬ 
ministrations of Dr. Parsons. Young Purnell was given all 
of the credit for the rescue, although he tried to enter the 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 


57 


two from the yard for a great share of it. Realizing the 
dangers that lurk under the surface of the river, he had not 
allowed the girl to get out of his sight until she was safe. 
They were both taken to the home of the Irvins, but when 
James insisted on going to his own home, Howard Irvin 
drove him there in his carriage. Before he went Nan came 
to him, congratulating him for the second time that day as 
she said: “I want you to come to our party to-night; you will 
not be able to dance, but you can watch the others and join 
us at other times. Bring your mother with you; there will 
be other folks here who will not dance.” 

Her invitation seemed so cordial that he accepted unhesi¬ 
tatingly. Heretofore he had avoided meeting the young peo¬ 
ple who seemed to shun him; especially had he avoided meet¬ 
ing Nellie Bratten, principally because he had learned that 
her father had become very bitter toward him. Then there 
was that other reason, yet he would never have confessed 
it—“A nigger in the woodpile.” He was jealous of Walter 
Whaley, who had been with Nellie several times since that 
noon hour at the lumber yard. “Surely he had a perfect 
right to be with her,” he thought. Yet that still small voice 
of jealousy and prejudice, that has caused wars and rumors 
of wars, whispered quietly, but persistently, to him that he 
had not the right. 

No, they were not engaged—James and Nellie; yet many 
many marriages have taken place without a formal engage¬ 
ment. Especially is this so in isolated rural communities, 
where a boy and “his girl” are seen together several times. 
Then gradually the other boys recognize his “rights” and 
step out of the line. They have the false impression that a 
girl who has several beaux, or a boy who “goes with more 
than one girl,” cannot be constant to anyone. Occasionally, 
if the girl is very beautiful or has other attractions, there is a 
contest for her affections that last until her marriage, and 
often beyond that. Nor is this condition restricted to iso- 


58 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


lated places; it exists everywhere, in all classes of society; 
but the better educated socially, present an unruffled outer 
appearance, while inwardly they are ravening wolves, wait¬ 
ing for a favorable opportunity to devour, to tear, and to 
gnash the enemy. And the lady, in each case looks on, with 
an unconcerned air, just as the female of the animals wit¬ 
nesses the death struggle that takes place between two 
males, who are contending for her. What think you, gentle 
reader? Has civilization changed our deeper emotions, or 
merely sugar-coated them, leaving us still the primitive 
brutes with the knotted clubs, changed in shape to shining 
steel or leaden bullets? James, being human, with the hu¬ 
man emotions, imagined himself being pushed aside by this 
rich man’s son, yet he offered no resistance, because he 
feared the ill-will or irritated glances of his fellow-men. 

But a certain exalted feeling possessed him as he returned 
to his home. He had saved a girl from losing her life in the 
river—a girl who had talked to him, having changed her seat 
to do so. She would not have been struck with the swinging 
boom if she had not changed her seat. Again he would see 
her that night. Of course he would talk to her, especially if 
Nellie were there with Walter Whaley. Thus it came to 
pass that circumstances compelled him to meet her again, 
and he was thrown with his former friends at the home of 
the Irvins, the first family of Snow Hill. He would be at 
some disadvantage, it was true, for he could not dance with a 
swollen “laig” as Mrs. Ward said. That ankle was painful, 
very painful; but a reminder, such as a man ties around his 
finger, or his cigar, so that the smell of the burning string 
reminds him that he has his wife’s letter in his pocket to be 
mailed. It reminded him that he had been struck by the 
upright timber, or he might have been riding home on his 
horse with Colonel Riddle while Jane was struggling against 
fate in the Pocomoke river. He was glad that his foot was 


The Pocomoke is Robbed 


59 


no worse, yet gratified that it had been injured at the right 
time. 


CHAPTER V 


RIDDLES 

While James Purnell was relating the events of the day 
to his mother, Mrs. Ward came in—rushed in, in fact— 
filled to overflowing with the news of the rescue. She had 
just heard it, and desiring to be the first at Mrs. Purnell’s, 
had left her supper to burn if it wished, for she must tell 
her neighbor the news of her son’s gallantry. She was some¬ 
what disappointed at finding the son at home, for someone 
had told her that James had stopped at the Irvins for a dry 
suit of clothes. But she told her story, nevertheless, and 
perhaps, with greater emphasis on the real danger than 
James had used. 

It is seldom possible that a man gets the opportunity of 
telling any news concerning himself to his family before 
someone else has done so. Smith, the carpenter, falls from 
his scaffold, sustaining light injuries. When he arrives home 
Mrs. Smith actually seems angry because he is not hurt as 
severely as she was lead to believe by Mrs. Gossip. Brown 
has been left a fortune by his uncle in the West. When he 
arrives home, filled with the story that he intends to surprise 
his family with, he finds that he has been robbed of the 
pleasure of giving good cheer to his kiddies and his hard¬ 
working wife. He is greeted by, “Oh, Daddy! Now I can 
have that new fur coat, can’t I?” from daughter. “Dad, 
let’s buy a gas wagon,” from son. “Yes, dear, the lawyer’s 
wife ’phoned us of your good fortune,” from the wife. 
Jones rescues a bathing beauty from the cruel undertow at 
the beach. When he arrives from his trip he is greeted by 
his business partner at the depot, “It’s bad you’re married, 


Riddles 


61 


old top. Ha, Ha! ” And by his wife, “How dare you go 
in bathing with another woman. Yes, I know. It’s a good 
thing we have newspapers, or the poor women who slave 
at home would never know what you’re doing on these 
business trips.” 

After she storms awhile her somewhat shrunken husband 
ventures to whisper, “My dear spouse, it was my niece whom 
I rescued. The reporter, in his rush for sensation, misun¬ 
derstood the name.” 

“Don’t spouse me, you brute; I don’t believe a word you 
say.” And off go the thunder and lightning again. She 
takes the position that the newspapers are more true than 
the Gospel. Of course a mere man has no defense under 
the circumstances. Thank God for the newspapers. 

So it is that men are robbed of joys, and suffer discomfort 
and disappointment. The women seem to manage it better, 
the crafty creatures. What would life be without them? It 
would be H-appiness. 

When the party was mentioned by Mrs. Ward during the 
conversation that lady launched forth into the grandeurs of 
the preparations already made. Then turning to James she 
asked: “Are you going, James?” 

“Both mother and I.” 

Mrs. Ward seemed surprised at this news, but said noth¬ 
ing. Then as she arose to go back to her burning supper, 
she stopped long enough to report the many friends who 
were invited. 

When the Purnells arrived that evening they found that 
Mrs. Ward had drawn on her imagination, which seemed to 
be acutely developed. Yet many of the guests were already 
assembled, and many just arriving. Some came in car¬ 
riages; some on horses; but the greater number, who were 
residents of the town, walked. Those who came on horse¬ 
back were from Pocomoke City, Stockton, Princess Anne, 
and the estates near the town or in the adjoining counties. 



62 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


One party came from the plantation in the northern end of 
the county, known as the Buckingham plantation. 

Most women of to-day appear to better advantage, upon 
arriving from a distance, in automobiles, than their sisters 
of the horse-back age. It was necessary for them to carry 
extra clothing, in order to change from the mud-splashed 
garments worn during the ride. Still these travelers, es¬ 
pecially the younger ones, had received a natural bloom on 
their cheeks, and a more erect carriage of the body, from 
their exercise during their journey. If compared to the hot¬ 
house plants produced in the home of to-day they would 
have proved far the superior physically. Some were even 
beautiful in their riding habit. Especially was this true of 
Miss Rose Buckingham from the northern estate. It was a 
great triumph to her beauty that she looked so bewitching, in 
her riding costume, while seated on her pal fry, behind her 
tall, erect brother. The fifteen-mile ride seemed to enhance, 
rather than to detract from, her radiant beauty. She and 
Howard Irvin were engaged to be married in the fall, and 
he now hurried down the steps to aid her in alighting. 

There was a general whispering as she entered, accom¬ 
panied by Irvin and her brother. Their arrival evidently 
had been expected for some time, for Nan Irvin met her and 
conducted her upstairs. In spite of Nan’s youth she had 
been filling the place of a mother and hostess for several 
years now, so that she had become a model hostess, and was 
able to do the honors upon such occasions, with a dignity 
and manner that was envied by her younger guests, and ap¬ 
plauded by her older ones. 

Every bedroom in the house now contained feminine 
wearing apparel, or was the scene of feminine toilettes pro¬ 
gressing in various stages. To one of these rooms the newly 
arrived guest was taken by her hostess. This room into 
which her hostess conducted her, was already occupied by 
several girls, and Rose was now introduced to the four Rid- 


Riddles 


63 


die sisters. This group of five were the chief guests, and 
occupied the largest and best room of the mansion, for they 
were to be the recipients of all the honors of the evening. 

In another large room, directly across the hall, the group 
from Pocomoke City were making their elaborate prepara¬ 
tions. Farther down the hall, in one room, were the Stock- 
ton girls; in another, there was a large group who were going 
to return to their homes after the activities of the evening. 
The occupants of the last-mentioned rooms were “actually 
dying” for a peep into that chief room. What kind of 
dresses would the girls from the great city wear for the occa¬ 
sion ? One or two of the bolder ones ventured to stop at the 
door while pretending to be looking for Nan. It would have 
been a difficult matter to decide whether their report was 
satisfactory or disappointing. Thanks to their good judg¬ 
ment, and Nan’s wise counsel, they had dressed simply and 
plainly; for almost all of the guests were of moderate means. 
Nothing is more conspicuous, or a better sign of ill-breeding 
than an over-dressed man or woman in a group of people 
dressed in moderate taste and style. A full-dress, with pick 
and shovel, or a silk dress, bending over a wash tub, would 
not look more out of harmony. The thoughtful will not 
make such a mistake; they are too considerate of the feelings 
of others. 

The most conspicuous of the visiting guests was Jane Rid¬ 
dle ; not on account of any elaborate dress, but because of her 
demeanor and personality. She seemed to have become per¬ 
fectly composed after the mishap of the afternoon, although 
she looked rather tired, with dark circles formed under her 
eyes. When introduced to Rose, that lady was so much sur¬ 
prised by her loveliness of face and figure that she took her 
into her confidence from the first, the two becoming almost 
inseparable. Although Jane was the younger, Rose felt con¬ 
vinced from a certain propriety and moderation conspicuous 
in her manner that Jane Riddle was an exceptional girl. 


64 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


There was no haughtiness about her manner; no love of 
display revealed by any action. Her dress was of silk, cut 
low at the neck; yet not from a love of display—for she 
had pretty shoulders—but from some obligation consistent 
with sense and modesty. She wore red coral pendants from 
her ears, and a small coral necklace that fitted closely around 
her white neck. She used some lavender, yet very little. 
The modern girl has her complexion so thick that it is 
cracked up like a pane of frosted window glass. All of 
Jane’s belongings were delicate and dainty; everything was 
in its proper order and place, so that her person gave the 
same idea of perfect neatness as does the body of a spotted 
fawn- Her hair was very light, combed up from her neck, 
yet dressed in front so that it lay back from her fine fore¬ 
head and face. Even the tips of her dainty ears showed 
from under a roll of strands of gold. The lower portion of 
her face was of a Greek mold—according to the vernacular 
of to-day—especially adapted to photography. Her fingers 
were long and tapering, expressive of musical talent and 
deep emotions. Of course she had the fine essentials of a 
lady—perfect veracity, a deep sense of honor toward all, 
deference, and refinement of personal habits, and as con¬ 
stant in affections towards a baseless opinion as towards a 
faithless lover. 

These were the qualities of greatness that drew Miss Rose 
Irvin so strongly to her new friend. Rose was noticeably 
different only in complexion—being dark, with hair like the 
raven’s wing—and the emotional characteristics of the per¬ 
fect brunette. She wore a simple silk, with gold chain and 
locket around her shapely neck. It is claimed that only her 
mother knew what that locket contained, yet it is easily sur¬ 
mised that one other had a very good idea. The beauty of 
each girl was emphasized by the contrast which they made 
when they appeared together. 

While the last touches were being added to their toilettes, 


Riddles 


65 


Aunt Cora, the old Negro maid, wabbled into the room to 
announce that dinner was waiting. 

“Fo’ de Ian’ sakes, chillens, let me look at yo’ all,” she 
said. “Let dese ole eyes jes’ teas’ on beauty an’ sweetness. 
Yo’all jes look like angels.” 

“Now, Aunt Cora, don’t flatter us,” said Rose, laughing. 
“We’re on the wrong side of life to look or feel like angels.” 

From one to the other the old Negro passed, her black 
hands folded across her ample abdomen, and her black head 
cocked to one side, while she examined their “finery,” as 
she said. Sometimes she would touch a fine article of 
clothing, with the tips of her finger and thumb, with an 
expression almost reverent upon her shiny face. These 
familiarities were not felt to be at all out of place by the 
young people, for these servants, who had been in the fami¬ 
lies for years, had privileges enjoyed by any other member. 

“What do you think of these gowns, Cora ? ’” asked Kath¬ 
erine Riddle, while she clasped a necklace around her sister’s 
neck. 

“Mos’ han’some, mo’ han’some, Miss Katherine. De 
purtiest I evah seen in all my life. But yo’all come now. 
De young gem’men am jes’ itchin’ to see yo’all enter de 
dinin’ room.” 

Aunt Cora was a fixture of the Irvin household, having 
served three generations; therefore, she had great liberty, 
both of action and word. She now passed to the other rooms, 
where she said and did almost the same things. Then she 
disappeared into her sanctum sanctorum, the kitchen, where 
she admitted no one except on very rare occasions, when 
Nan Irvin was allowed to enter and remain for a short 
period of time. These old cooks are very jealous of their 
culinary art, passing it from one to the other, and guarding 
it so carefully that they cannot be excelled. 

The young ladies now came down to the parlor where the 
men and the older ladies awaited them. Some of the oldest 


66 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


families of the “Shore” were represented: the Stanfords, 
of Princess Anne; the Wailes’s, of Salisbury; the Steven- 
sons and Wilsons of Pocomoke; the Wescotts, of Accomac; 
the Mapps, of Onancock the Harmonsons and Taylors, of 
Berlin; the Houstons, Waters’s, and Taylors, of Stockton; 
the Parkers, Clarks, Hargis’s, Veaseys, Nocks, Parsons, 
Brattens, Upshurs, Whartons, Whaleys, McMasters, Statons, 
Jones’s, and many others as well known. Many of the 
professions were represented by some of these: the law 
was well represented by young Stanford, Staton, Jones and 
Upshur; Dr. Price and Dr. Parsons represented medicine; 
Young Parker was a school teacher; Hargis and Clark were 
business men; Nock held a county office; Bratten was a 
banker; and McMaster and Matthews were ministers. 
After several minutes, during which the older folks renewed 
acquaintances, and the younger people exchanged shy 
glances or bantering compliments, the company passed into 
the dining room, where they were seated around several 
tables literally groaning with contents for the meal. This 
room looked fresh and pleasant, with large branches of holly, 
laurel, and evergreens, that had been gotten in the near-by 
forest by the young people, who had trimmed the walls for 
the occasion. 

Places of honor had been kept for the Riddle girls and 
Rose Buckingham near the head of the principal table. Mr. 
Irvin sat at the head of this table, while Mr. McMaster and 
Colonel Riddle sat at his right and left. Howard Irvin led 
Rose to a seat between himself and Mr. McMaster. The 
four Riddle sisters were placed together just below Nan, 
while the others at their table were placed opposite them. 
James and his mother were separated, for Colonel Riddle 
led her to a seat beside himself, while James was seated 
between Jane Riddle and Nan Irvin. Farther down, on the 
opposite side, James saw Walter Whaley take his place 
between Mr. Bratten and Nellie. Several times he looked 


Riddles 


67 


toward her during the meal, but apparently she never looked 
his way. 

When they were all seated Mr. McMaster led them in 
giving thanks to God for His bountiful care. This seemed 
to be the signal for which Aunt Cora, and several Negro 
maids, were waiting, for they now took places at the different 
tables, where they saw that all were served bountifully from 
platters well filled with food found only in portions of the 
South where the old Negro of much avoirdupois reigns 
supreme in the kitchen. When all were helped Mrs. Mason, 
of Stockton, -remarked: “This table is a perfect poem.” 
Now what analogy there is between a poem and a well sup¬ 
plied table is difficult to see; yet it may be possible for the 
poetic mind to recognize the futurist possibilities of such an 
analogy. It is beyond the ken of common ordinary mortals. 

Mrs. Mason was peculiar, if not a poet. It may be said 
of her that she was eccentric. Her speech was odd; so were 
her ways. It was a blow to her children’s pride that she 
would not be guided by the conventionalities. On a certain 
occasion, when they were entertaining at dinner, soup was 
served for one of the courses. The mother preferred to 
break rules of etiquette by noisily coaxing her soup across 
an intervening space between the edge of the spoon and her 
lips. Her daughters, being greatly chagrined, exchanged 
meaning glances with each other, and with her, but to no 
avail. Afterward, in telling of the experience to some of 
her friends, the mother laughed heartily, as if she had really 
enjoyed their discomfiture. 

“When I saw that they were so ashamed of their own 
mother,” she said, “I thought that I would give them some¬ 
thing to be ashamed of, so I just picked up my plate and 
drank the rest from it.” 

Yes, children, some of us are made of such poor stuff that 
we actually become ashamed of those who gave us birth. 
Climb socially, if you wish, but climb honestly. 


68 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


But there was no reason why this table, at which Mrs. 
Mason now sat, should not have appealed to the most exact¬ 
ing epicure; only a glutton would have had cause to grumble. 
There were six kinds of meats from which to select: fried 
chicken, roast wild turkey, mutton, sliced cold ham, baked 
trout, and fried oysters; the finest of brown gravies; spoon 
pone, potato rolls, beaten biscuit; creamed white potatoes, 
baked sweet potatoes; several jellies, preserves, and spiced 
fruits; cake, and pies made of sweet and white potatoes, 
fruits, and mince-meats. All of these staples of food had 
been produced on Mr. Irvin’s farms, the wild turkey having 
been killed in his forest, and the trout and oysters from the 
waters of the Sinepuxent bay, which formed the eastern 
border of his estate. This part of the shore, where he raised 
his oysters, is known as Public Landing, being about seven 
miles from the town. Because of the natural wealth of the 
Eastern Shore the people can exist without help from others. 
In fact, the whole state might be isolated; yet its inhabitants 
could continue to exist. Probably Maryland is the only 
state of our union of which this might be truly said. 

In the best organized company there is always an interval 
of time, very awkward sometimes, during which the guests 
are being served. It requires an experienced and tactful 
host or hostess to steer the guests comfortably through this 
period. Yet much of the responsibility rests on the guests 
themselves. For that reason the dexterous hostess will place 
together the most congenial in order that they will feel less 
restraint. A guest of influence and learning will be pre¬ 
pared for this emergency. Such guests are greatly sought 
after by those who entertain extensively. Nan Irvin was 
fortunate in having at her table that night several that made 
happy the heart of a hostess. 

It was the practice of Mr. McMaster to pay some one an 
appropriate compliment at this time. Sometimes the hostess 
was the recipient, sometimes it was one of the guests. Mr. 


Riddles 


69 


McMaster was not at all aristocratic nor lofty, but good- 
natured and gray-haired; a scholar of the old school, whose 
personality impressed itself, on many occasions, through his 
remarks. On this particular occasion he happened to choose 
one of the guests as the recipient of his peculiar method 
of attack. 

“Once upon a time,” he began, “when knighthood was in 
flower, the brave knight, in the face of almost unsurmount- 
able difficulties, released the beautiful princess from a dun¬ 
geon or a walled city just in time to save her from the 
hideous monster, who had her in his power; but today the 
method seems to have changed; it seems to be the fashion 
for the brave to show that they deserve the fair by leaping 
into the dark and dangerous waters to rescue the unfor¬ 
tunate ones from death.” 

All faces were turned toward Jane and James. A be¬ 
coming blush betrayed the thoughts of the maiden, but 
James was equal to the occasion. 

“Sir, we have no dungeons, castles nor villains today; 
therefore, if we wish to rescue them, it must be from some 
other fate.” 

“Well spoken,” remarked the Colonel. “It does the 
young man credit. Yet I believe the villain still exists as 
surely as he ever did. In the midst of these sordid, dis¬ 
honest and foul-minded men we are often called upon today 
to accomplish a greater feat—a feat of the very soul—to 
rescue ourselves.” 

These significant compliments were felt by others, besides 
James, to have an emphatic meaning; and as James looked 
across the table to his mother, Nellie Bratten glanced ad¬ 
miringly toward him. She seemed to be gratified by the 
honor paid to her old friend. The conversation then became 
general, and Jane, in her turn, expressed to the young rescuer 
her gratitude for his quick action and dangerous exploit. 

“I dread to think of the fate from which I was saved,” 


70 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


she said. “I am indeed grateful; more so than I can express. 
You really did a wonderful thing. ,, 

“Not wonderful,” he answered. “Only my duty. Given 
the opportunity, there are hundreds that would do the same.” 

“But the hundreds were not present, and that makes it 
the more wonderful. Some of them may have failed me, but 
you did not.” 

“Praise the circumstances, not me. Had I been absent, 
there would have been another. Howard would have done 
it.” 

“I don’t doubt that he would, yet it is always the qualities 
of a hero to depreciate true valor within himself, and to 
transfer it somewhere else. That is one of the things that 
make the hero a hero.” 

It is true that we do not need to search history for the 
only heroes; they are also in our midst; they are walking 
the streets with us. They are in the cars with us every day, 
as we go to and from our work. Some wear toil-stained 
clothing; some are daintily dressed and smiling faced. As 
they pass us they are fighting battles, noble ones; as they 
ride with us they are mapping out some campaign of attack, 
whereby they may become winners. They are bearing heavy 
burdens, overcoming temptations, defeating selfishness, 
patiently toiling day after day, and courageously accomplish¬ 
ing the work that is set for them to do. They, too, are 
heroes; yet the man who will willingly lay down his life for 
his friend, or a stranger, holds the highest place of esteem 
within human minds, and rightly so, for no man has greater 
love than he. 

In spite of the friendly attitude of those who had spoken 
to him, James felt a coolness, a restraint on the part of the 
great majority present. This attitude was very noticeable 
on the part of some, however careful they were to hide it. 
James was a guest, with them, of those who had invited 
them; yet they could ignore him practically, and thereby, 


Riddles 


71 


to him at least, reveal their cheapness of character. This 
they did as civilly as possible, and it was almost a relief to 
James that his foot would not enable him to dance, for it 
gave him an excuse for not mingling freely with them. He 
escaped the older ones, who did not dance, by joining his 
mother, who was with Colonel Riddle and Mr. McMaster 
for the greater part of the evening. 


CHAPTER VI 


CONSCIENCE AND REVELATIONS 

As the ladies retired into the drawing room the sound of 
the violin was heard distinctly, and Israel Crippen came into 
the hall, playing “Sir Roger de Coverley,” or the “Virginia 
Reel,” as it is more familiarly called. Uncle Israel was not 
an expert player, but like many of the fiddlers of his time, 
he was able to perform to the great satisfaction of those who 
danced. He was one of the many ex-slaves who lived at that 
time. He had learned the tunes during spare time in the 
evenings, and on wet, rainy days, when there was nothing 
to do. His former master, Mr. Powell of Accomac, had 
learned of his talent for music, and had gotten him the vio¬ 
lin, which he still used. The slaves often furnished the 
amusements, as well as the labor, for their masters, and after 
Israel proved to be a good player, he was permitted, by Mr. 
Powell, to play at a great many affairs if they did not inter¬ 
fere with his work. 

Although the African savage seemed very low in the scale 
of civilization, when he was brought to this country, he 
showed from the very first that he was a musician. Give 
him a violin, a cornet or horn, a banjo, or a mouth organ, 
and he will produce excellent harmony. Some of the best 
brass bands have been Negro bands. Jim Lindsay, a Negro 
of this region, was the leader of a band that was noted 
throughout the community. Of course their music cannot be 
called classical, but the majority of people do not want that; 
they want “jazz,” and that originated with the Negro. 

Besides Israel Crippen, there were several white men 
around the town who could perform upon the violin with 


Conscience and Revelations 


73 


great success, but these would not play for such dances; for, 
strange as "it might seem to-day, the very dancers themselves 
looked upon a white man, who played while they enjoyed 
themselves to the rhythm of his music, as one who was be¬ 
low their social standing. They placed them with the ser¬ 
vant class. Therefore, these white musicians would not play 
for them. But Israel had no such scruples. After the old 
Negro’s faithful violin was heard it was not long before the 
hall was filled by couples eager for the dance. 

One of the pleasant features of the parties of those days 
was the presence of the older people, and they danced too. 
The younger generation is being greatly blamed for their 
so-called sins; but the greatest part of the blame rests on 
the older people, who have become so absorbed in accumu¬ 
lating that which thieves steal, or moths corrupt, or who 
have become so lazy or self-centered that they really do not 
care what becomes of their children, so long as they are not 
longer bothered with them. Young people did not go wrong 
to any noticeable extent in those days when their pleasures 
were supervised by the parents. Imagine, if you can, gray¬ 
haired men and women, whose children were on the floor, 
dancing the “tango,” or the “bunny hug,” or the “shimmy¬ 
ing” maneuvers of the present day, with their sons and 
daughters. The dances of this age have degenerated from 
the lofty ideals of expressing our emotions to the accom¬ 
paniment of rhythmic music. They are becoming merciless 
and savage, as the pleasures of the old Romans became, when 
even the women turned “thumbs down” on the defeated 
gladiator. The pleasures of to-day are becoming efforts to 
gratify sensual appetite by immodest dress, “petting par¬ 
ties,” thrillers, and by “parking the corsets” before the dance 
begins. As long as the parents cared enough for the future 
welfare of the race, they took part in these pleasures, thereby 
assuring themselves that their children were safe. But to¬ 
day nothing is forbidden. The Ten Commandments are 


74 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


forgotten; laws, moral and physical, are laughed at and sac¬ 
rificed to sensuality. 

Yet how can we expect anything else? It is forbidden 
that religion be taught in schools. The modern expert claims 
that such notions limit the thinking capacity of the pupil. He 
must wait until he is developed to that extent when he is 
capable of deciding whether he wants to be religious or not. 
At the same time they are teaching doctrines which are ir¬ 
religious, so that the child reaches the age of responsibility 
after he has become an enemy to all restraint. His re¬ 
sponsibility ceases when he is satisfied in his own mind that 
his opinion is the best one for him to follow. Men are not 
going to keep laws just because it is a duty of every citizen 
to respect a law written by some other citizen, or group of 
citizens. The man of to-day feels that he is as capable of 
making laws to govern his action as anyone else is of mak¬ 
ing them for him. When we cease to teach a moral responsi¬ 
bility to our creator and our God we might much better de¬ 
liver ourselves into the hands of the Germans, or some other 
people, who can surpass us at playing that kind of game. A 
deep feeling of responsibility to the Supreme Governor of 
this universe is all that will make us a body of lawful human 
beings. If we do not teach the children that principle, that 
religion, we are lost. We are cutting our own throats. 

For several years we have also been taught, by these mod¬ 
ern experts that it is wrong to say “don’t” to a child; we 
should rather call its attention to something else. If it is go¬ 
ing to touch the stove, we better quickly lead it to a piece of 
ice. If we do that we are assured that the child will play 
with the ice. We are already seeing the results in our midst. 
Laws mean don’ts, therefore we need not keep them. Es¬ 
pecially has this become true of the spiritual laws. By not 
saying don’t soon enough we have produced customs and 
habits in the lives of our women and young men that are de¬ 
plorable. The too free manner, and carelessness; immodest 


Conscience and Revelations 


75 


dress; the inelegant, slang language, cigarette smoking, and 
wine drinking, betting and gambling are signs of the 
failure of these modern expert theorists. There is too much 
crime, too much vice, and too much indecency, chiefly be¬ 
cause we have ceased to say don’t. It is time these hysterical 
modernists were introducing something else that will save us. 

Society is fast becoming divided into two classes; two an¬ 
tagonistic ranks: the law-respecters, and the law breakers; 
the one trying to destroy all restraints, the other to impose 
and extend them. 

The relations of responsibility and liberty are not being 
taught to the young. The majority of the teachers in the 
elementary schools are children themselves, who do not know 
these restraints. How can they teach the proper relationship ? 
They are products of the new learning; they are endeavor¬ 
ing to call attention to the right thing, but the right thing is 
very elusive. When the child reaches the high school it is a 
more easy matter. All the teacher there has to do is to make 
a scientist out of the pupil. Nothing counts but science to¬ 
day. Don’t teach or believe the old-fashioned doctrines of 
the men who founded this great nation; instead, become 
monkeys and believe that you are descended from monkeys, 
and your future is absolutely assured. Science will save the 
world; therefore, make science the religion of the present 
generation. “Oh faithless and perverse generation, how long 
shall I be with you ? How long shall I suffer you ? ” 

In the days of our story, dances, like other amusements, 
refined character, and taught courtesy; they were not of the 
devil. To-day the music is that of the savage—“jazz.” 
Then, the music did not lure to degredation; it caused cares 
to be forgotten; responsibilities and worries of life were put 
away for a time. It was full of joy, gladness, beauty, 
melody; it entranced and invigorated, enthralled and in¬ 
spired. For those who spent a few hours of recreation 


76 The Gentleman From Maryland 

amidst such environments there was no “morning after” nor 
vain regrets. 

The chief reason for the decline of the once glorious dance 
is the fact that parents are not present as of old. In those 
days parents were as graceful as their children; mothers were 
as beautiful as their daughters; fathers were as gallant, ac¬ 
tive and chivalrous as their sons. To-day we must face the 
fact that luxury and conveniences have made the middle- 
aged matron a thing of excessive corpulency. A pair of legs 
is an almost useless appendage. If we continue at the rate 
we are traveling, medical students will place legs in the same 
class with the appendix. 

But in the days of our story walking for exercise was still 
a pleasure enjoyed by the older people, and the dance was a 
real treat to them. The dance at Irvin’s house that night was 
led by Colonel Riddle and Mrs. Purnell, followed by Howard 
Irvin and Rose Buckingham. Mr. Irvin and Katherine Rid¬ 
dle came next, followed by the other couples until the floor 
was filled. The greatest treat of the evening was this first 
dance in which all present took part; then the older people, 
for the greater part, retired to a safe distance, leaving the 
floor to the younger ones. But there was not a young man 
present that was more graceful or more gallant than Clifton 
Irvin or Colonel Riddle, and James’ mother proved that she 
could hold her own with both of them. In fact, the Colonel 
highly complimented her for her unforgotten accomplish¬ 
ments of girlhood. 

When the dancers were in position Uncle Israel closed his 
eyes, dropped his face upon his beloved “fiddle,” and called 
the figures as in a dream. The dancers tripped the “light, 
fantastic toe” until they were tired, then fell back to allow 
others to take their places. The older folks then retired to 
the parlor, where they talked of the things that interested 
them especially, while the younger generation kept at the 
pleasure until after midnight. 


Conscience and Revelations 


77 


In one corner of the room, under a large bough of holly, 
sat James Purnell looking on at the fun. He was practically 
alone, during this first dance, except for several pickaninnies, 
who very respectfully stood near, showing great delight in 
the proceedings by their broad grins and giggling whispers 
to each other. James seemed to find as much interest in 
watching them as in watching the dancers. They did not 
remain long in this enjoyment, however, for soon the voice 
of Aunt Cora rang clearly above the music: 

“We’ll pass obah Jerdan, 

An’ clime de ’simmin tree; 

We’ll pass obah Jerdan, 

An’ drink sweetened tea.” 

The old Negro emerged from the kitchen door with an 
avenging broom beating the air. Pickaninnies began to scat¬ 
ter and to disappear before such a formidable weapon. 

“You evil, black rapscallions,” she shouted, “whar war 
yo’ all bohn, anyhow. Did yo’ nevah see a dance befo’? 
Git to bade, ebery one ob you’, yo’ no count, triflin’ niggers.” 

Of course everybody laughed at her absurdity; but the 
little darkies scurried off to their beds or hiding places, away 
from the dangerous weapon wielded by their evil genius of 
the kitchen. 

Directly after they had been driven out, Uncle Israel be¬ 
gan to play, “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” and Jane, who 
had been dancing with Randolph Upshur, dropped out of the 
group of dancers, and joined the group in the room. As 
James had already joined them she seated herself beside 
him. 

“I’m tired,” she said. “I don’t believe you are enjoying 
yourself well, Mr. Purnell.” 

“On the contrary,” he answered, “I am enjoying it im¬ 
mensely; I always did prefer to watch the dancers rather 


78 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


than to take part. If you are not going to dance for a few 
minutes, let’s go out upon the lawn for a while.” 

“I believe I would enjoy a few minutes in the moonlight,” 
was her response as they started for the door. 

They passed out together through the side door that 
opened into the lawn just back of the old Covington Man¬ 
sion. The full bright moon showed its immense proportions 
in plain profile. 

“How ghost-like that house appears from here,” the girl 
remarked. “And daddy is going to purchase it, too.” 

“That house used to belong to my grandfather, but it has 
been sold several times within the last few years. My 
mother’s name was Covington, before she was married.” 

“Is that the way it got its name? I though Mr. Covington 
owned it.” 

“No, my grandfather built it, but he climbed out on the 
roof to watch the masons finish that large chimney, which 
you see there, and fell. He never recovered; he did not en¬ 
joy living in the house after building it. It has always been 
my desire to own it myself.” 

“What would you do with a big house like that ? ” 

“I suppose I am like many other people; we get a notion 
that we want something, and are not satisfied until we have 
it, no matter how large and useless it is to us. Most people 
who build houses add a number of rooms that are never 
opened. It makes them look bigger to others; they dare not 
build a house smaller than that of their neighbors. But that 
house seems to have an attraction for me. It might be be¬ 
cause of the impressions of my childhood. I have often 
played in it, but there are many rooms that I have never seen 
into. I always wanted to see into those rooms.” 

“Man’s curiosity, yet they declare that they have none. 
When we go there I will let you see those rooms.” 

They were sitting upon a bench that was placed under a 
large native maple tree, and although Jane’s mood was happy 


Conscience and Revelations 


79 


and cheerful, her escort seemed to be reserved and thought¬ 
ful. Jane contributed his attitude to the fact that his ankle 
was uncomfortable. But James felt that she should know 
the circumstances that had thrown a shadow over his life; 
he determined to tell her. 

“Miss Jane,” he began, “I feel that I ought to tell you 
something. I do not want to appear to anyone as sailing 
under false colors; I-” 

He was interrupted by Jane. “It isn’t necessary to men¬ 
tion, or even recall that unpleasant experience, my friend; 
Nan has told us the circumstances, and I do not believe you 
did it. Neither does Nan; but because she lives here she 
will not say so directly; yet she has shown to-day that she 
doesn’t believe it. I asked father about it, too, and he said 
that you are not the guilty one.” 

“I know he doesn’t think I am, and I am grateful to both 
of you, very grateful. But it makes it somewhat unpleasant 
to be treated with such indifference by those with whom I 
have been so friendly. Sometimes I think I will go away 
from it all; then I think ‘what have I to run from?’ If I 
leave, someone may think that I am guilty. What would 
you advise ? ” 

“I don’t know whether I can put myself in your place, or 
not. If I can I believe I would do just what you are doing. 
If others lose confidence in you, always remember that, after 
what you did for me to-day, you can count on me.” 

He had heard almost those same words a few days before. 
They came to him at this time as a kind of mockery. Would 
Jane forget as easily and as quickly as Nellie Bratten? He 
had had great confidence in Nellie when she had spoken, 
and now he felt that he could place as much in Jane. Some¬ 
how, he hoped that Jane’s words meant more. 

He said to Jane: “Another has told me the same thing; it 
was before this trouble, but she has forgotten. If she had 



80 The Gentleman From Maryland 

remembered, it would not have been so hard to face the 
rest.” 

“You seem very bitter toward someone,” she answered. 
“Has she told you that she has forgotten ? ” 

“No, I have not spoken to her since then, but ‘Actions 
speak louder than words/ ” 

“Don’t put too much faith in those old proverbs. Speak 
to her; there may be some other reason for her silence. Find 
out before you condemn her; girls are peculiar creatures, 
you know. Many sad misunderstandings have ruined the 
lives of young people, because someone has been too proud 
to find out.” 

“I know it, yet I never met a girl before, who is as frank 
about confessing it as you are.” 

“There is no reason to be otherwise. There is too much 
sham in the world, anyhow. We would know each other 
better, and be able to keep on more intimate terms, if we did 
not allow conventions to rule our actions, and our treatment 
of each other. But come, we must go in. Yet before we go, 
allow me to say that, whatever you find to be the true atti¬ 
tude of your friend, believe that you made a friend to-day in 
whom you can have the greatest confidence, and to whom you 
may confide anything, knowing that you will be understood, 
always. If the opportunity ever comes that I can, in any 
measure repay you, I hope you will not hesitate to call upon 
me. 

“Thank you, Miss Jane, I will remember that. All that I 
have done for you to-day, I would have done for anybody 
who needed my help. I am very glad that I had the strength 
to do it, and the opportunity. My misfortune proved your 
fortune, perhaps.” 

“Without a doubt. The fact that you would have done 
the same for anyone else does not remove from me the life¬ 
long obligation that I owe you. It is my wish that we always 
be very close friends.” 


Conscience and Revelations 


81 


Then they returned to the hall as Uncle Israel was playing, 
“Over the Hills and Far Away.” The partners were form¬ 
ing for the set. James and Jane stood just inside the door, 
practically unconscious of each other’s presence, for she was 
thinking, “All I have done for you, I would have done for 
anyone else.” She knew this was so, yet she liked to think 
that she entered into the equation to a greater extent. He 
might have left that unsaid, anyway. Already she felt more 
than a mere liking for this quiet, serious youth. She some¬ 
how hoped, without reason, of course, that he felt an es¬ 
pecial interest toward her. Someone was plucking her sleeve, 
then a voice aroused her to the present moment. 

“Won’t you dance this one with me? ” it asked. The mu¬ 
sician had begun to play, “I Danced With a Girl With a 
Hole in Her Stocking,” which seemed very inviting to her. 

“Certainly,” she answered, and they immediately joined the 
gliding couples. 

Walter Whaley was her partner. He was an accomplished 
dancer, and knew it. In manner he was exceptionally polite 
and courteous. In appearance he was practically perfect. 
Dressed in the height of fashion, never at a loss for the 
proper word, and jovial and arrogant, he was just that type 
of man that has always appealed to woman. They simply 
cannot resist such men. Solomon showed his wisdom again 
when he said that one of the seven wonders under the Sun 
was “The way of a man with a maid.” Whaley was one 
who seldom failed to have his way where a girl was con¬ 
cerned. 

Jane’s partner now remarked to her, “You look as though 
you had just quarreled. I spoke several times before I 
yanked your sleeve. Please pardon me if I seemed to 
rude, but it seemed that I could not get your attention any 
other way. I will give you a penny if you tell me what you 
were thinking so seriously about on such a night as this.” 

“If that is all they are worth to you I will give them to you, 


82 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


freely/’ she answered, smiling. “I was thinking how lucky 
I had been to live to see this night; yet how unlucky was my 
rescuer to have gotten hurt so seriously that he cannot enjoy 
himself, and to have been so unfortunate as to be accused 
falsely.” 

“Falsely! Oh yes; don’t you worry about Purnell. He’s 
wise, he’ll come around all right. You can’t keep a good 
man down, and James is a good fellow.” 

She could not understand his tone, but she thought that 
she did. “I believe you think he is guilty,” she said, with 
undisguised feeling. “It’s not so; how dare you say so 
to me, whose life he has saved. Is that the way a criminal 
acts ? ” She was angry now. 

“I have not made one of those statements. It is you who 
have made them. It would be a thoughtless man, indeed, 
who would not envy James for what he accomplished today.” 

Although Walter very seldom was mistaken in his ap¬ 
praisement of a stranger’s character, he was too confident 
that night. When he made his last statement, with utter 
disregard, and plain disgust, Jane threw away his arm, and 
hurried out of the room in the midst of the dance. 

“Huh! ” he grunted, as she left him in the middle of the 
floor, “he makes disciples quickly. Yet I can’t blame her; 
he saved her life.” 

The incident was witnessed by the other dancers, but 
none of them even guessed the trouble. Some of them, who 
knew Whaley well, thought that something he had done or 
said had not been understood by Jane, because she did not 
know how to “take” Walter. As soon as Nan Irvin saw 
the girl leave the room, she followed her to the room up¬ 
stairs, where she found her, face downwards, across the 
bed. She was weeping silently, but Nan could get her to 
tell her nothing. 

“Go on down; I am very tired, and will stay up here the 
rest of the evening,” was all she would say. 


Conscience and Revelations 


83 


There were two other especially interested witnesses to 
the incident. When Jane and Walter had joined the dancers 
James started to cross the room to the seat which he had 
occupied when the dance had begun. Now, as he approached 
it, he saw Nellie Bratten sitting there while she watched the 
dancers. At first he decided to go back, but she was watching 
him, and he continued. There was nothing that he could 
do now, but to speak to her. It was the first opportunity 
he had had since that day in the Lumber Yard. Therefore, 
he sat down beside her and spoke of the dance. 

Her answer did not seem to be very cordial. Then he 
added, “If you will feel more comfortable here, alone, I will 
leave you. ,, He spoke very indifferently. 

It seems peculiar that lovers very often ask each other 
for permission to do the thing that they do not wish to do. 
Permission is often granted, while a silent prayer is made 
that it be not taken. Many mistakes would be avoided, if 
we were perfectly honest with each other. 

Instead of answering directly, Nellie said, “I have no 
more right here than you.” She was just as indifferent as 
James. 

“Why have you been so distant toward me tonight, Nellie? 
It is not at all like you generally treat me. I have not gotten 
a chance to speak to you until now.” 

“Don’t blame me; your chances seem to have been filled 
with someone else’s company.” 

“That is very unfair, Nellie. You know that I cannot 
dance, yet Jane Riddle and Nan are the only ones that have 
come near me.” 

“I am near enough to you now; what have you to say ? ” 

“I wish to know whether you believe me guilty of the 
charge made against me.” 

“Everyone says so; Walter believes you are, because you 
were the only one in the office.” 


84 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“He was in the office; yet no one can say that I have 
accused him of doing it.” 

“What does he want with it? He has all that he can 
use now.” 

“Then you think I wanted it because I have less than I 
can use ? ” 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“But you think it. In other words, because I have none 
you think I might want it bad enough to take what does not 
belong to me. You’re a fine friend, aren’t you? ” His voice 
showed rising anger. 

But she ignored his manner. “Walter came to me, and 
explained it all. You have never been near me until to¬ 
night. Now you want to quarrel with me about it.” 

“You know the reason I have not. Your father is very 
bitter toward me. I could not see you in his house.” 

“My friends must come to my home, if they wish to see 

if 

me. 

“Yes, Whaley goes there continuously. What right has 
he to such close friendship with you ? ” 

It was her turn to be angry now. “What right have you 
to choose my friends? If you are going to be disagreeable, 
you may leave me.” 

“I have as much right here as you,” he shot back. 

“Then I will go,” she said, and arose to pass by him. 

“Wait,” he begged, “I did not mean to offend you. You 
promised to be such a good friend to me, you know.” 

They were both standing now. “I thought,” he continued, 
“that we each understood that our friendship would become 
something more; that is why I spoke of Whaley. 

“Our friendship will never become ‘something more! I 
have promised to marry Walter. Anyhow, this is no place 
to speak of such things.” 

He stood there, dumb with amazement. This girl, whom 
he had always expected to be his wife, was promised to 


Conscience and Revelations 


85 


Whaley. In other circumstances he would have been glad 
for his former friend’s sake. Now there was but one thing 
left for him. He would surely go away. Everything seemed 
to be coming to Walten He would wait for the trial, then 
he would leave the “Shore” forever. 

While he made this decision the girl stood by his side. 
She said that she would go, but she had not gone. He 
turned to her and saw that she was closely watching the 
dancers. As he looked in the same direction, they both saw 
Jane abruptly leave her partner, and pass from the room. 
Whaley then started in their direction; but James also left 
the room. He felt that he could not face Walter again 
that night. 


CHAPTER VII 


SOME RICH MEN ARE NOT SELFISH 

The dance at Irvin’s was over. The greater portion of the 
guests had gone to their homes. Several families, who had 
come for several miles, were remaining until the next night. 
These had retired, and the house was in darkness, except the 
guest room. Two beds had been placed in this room. One 
of these was to be occupied by Rose Buckingham and Jane 
Riddle; the other by Katherine, Laura, and Elizabeth Rid¬ 
dle. Nan occupied the room just across the hall, but she 
came into the guests’ room as they were about to retire. 
When the others had gone upstairs they had found Jane 
already in bed. She apologized to her hostess for her 
actions of the evening; then related to them the incident that 
happened. 

“I almost hate that Whaley; he is so confident, so imper¬ 
tinent,” she concluded. 

“Please don’t think any more of the incident,” replied Nan. 
“We all know Walter well enough not to take him seriously. 
I hope you were able to enjoy yourself after such a trying 
day.” 

“I had a very pleasant evening until I lost control of 
myself.” 

“Well, go to sleep now, and tomorrow you will feel better, 
perhaps.” Nan patted her tenderly upon her golden hair; 
then crossed the hall to her own room. 

But it was some time before any of them went to 
sleep. There is always so much to talk about after such 
affairs; dresses, dancers, men, girls, compliments, and many 
other things of interest to girls only. 


Some Rich Men Are Not Selfish 


87 


During this time conversation could be heard, intermit¬ 
tently, from below. Colonel Riddle, Mr. Irvin, and three 
young men, Wailes, Buckingham, and Howard Irvin were 
talking of various subjects, while they smoked their late 
cigars before the fireplace. As the evenings were getting 
cool a fire had been made to make the room more comfort¬ 
able. Directly the conversation turned upon the new factory, 
and the canal that was to connect Klej Grange with the river 
at Mattaponi. 

“I reckon you expect to have the machinery installed by 
Christmas,” Mr. Irvin inquired of the Colonel. 

“Yes, we expect Captain Howard almost any day now. I 
had a letter from him yesterday, which stated that he had 
been delayed, because the machines were not quite ready 
when he arrived. He also stated that they were being loaded 
at that time, and that he wished to start within a day or two. 
The company will send with him an expert mechanic, who 
will install the machines, and see that they are in working 
condition while he is here. I suppose they are crossing the 
bay now, or lying at anchor ready to sail.” 

“We understand that the value of the land near the factory 
is advancing very rapidly; Lindsay is sorry that he allowed 
you to have so much.” 

“I paid Mr. Lindsay a good price. I wanted as much of 
the land as I could get in order to see that all who come are 
treated alike. I have set a certain amount on the lots, so that 
they will not be exploited, unless I cannot help it. I have 
turned the construction work over to young Purnell, who 
will build and sell each house, for the same amount, as it is 
ready for its occupant.” 

Mr. Benjamin Lindsay, the man to whom they referred, 
had owned several hundred acres of land and forest that lay 
between the river and Stockton. He had sold it all to the 
factory company at what all considered, at that time, to be 
an enormous price. It was through this tract of land that 


88 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


they were contemplating the building of the canal. This 
later proved to be a very valuable tract, on account of the 
great amount of first-growth timber that was found there. 
But in those days the finest kind of timber was not in very 
great demand. Therefore, Lindsay received a good price 
for the tract. 

Perhaps Lindsay would not have sold so much, except for 
circumstances. At one time he had owned some fifty slaves, 
and was considered one of the wealthiest men in the country, 
but their loss, during the war, had proven almost his ruin. 
Colonel Riddle’s offer had come just in the right time, and 
was quickly accepted. Mr. Lindsay, with his daughter Grace, 
moved to a house at Stockton, where they lived with just one 
servant, an old Negro called Jim. This same Jim Lindsay 
won much renown later as the leader of Lindsay’s Brass 
Band, that furnished the music for picnics, Negro camp- 
meetings, serenades, and barbecues. 

“Nan tells me that you are going to leave us within a few 
days,” said Mr. Irvin. “We hoped that you would stay 
longer.” 

“No, I have decided that I cannot go; but the girls will 
return to Philadelphia the first of the week. I am going to 
ask James Purnell to accompany them back. It is necessary 
for me to be here when the machinery is being installed. I 
expect to purchase the Covington home within a short time; 
then they will return and live with me here.” 

By this time the voices of the girls had ceased. The men 
also retired, and the house, that was so merry and gay an 
hour before; had become as quiet as those immediately 
across the street. The remaining days of the week were filled 
with several affairs that had been planned by the younger 
people for the entertainment of the visitors. James did not 
attend them. His excuse for not doing so was that he was 
too busy. He spent the time at the factory, where he was 
often bantered by the well meaning workmen, who did not 


Some Rich Men Are Not Selfish 


89 


realize that the light tone of voice which he used, in answer¬ 
ing their quiries, was assumed. At first he gave the excuse 
that his foot would not permit him to join the fun, but by the 
end of the week it had so improved that he was able to walk 
without limping. 

On Tuesday of the following week several of their friends 
accompanied the Riddle girls to Pocomoke City, where they 
took the train for Philadelphia. James accompanied them to 
their home, returning on the following Friday. He found 
that Captain Howard had arrived; also Elmer Hancock, the 
young expert, who had charge of the machinery. There was 
much to be done by everyone. The factory must be com¬ 
pleted; then the machinery placed; then houses must be 
built for the workmen. 

Colonel Riddle had given James the contract for building 
these houses, which he planned to begin immediately. They 
were not to belong to the Company; they were to be placed 
on the Company's ground, but for private individuals, who 
desired to live in the new town. During the first year five 
of these houses were completed. Each house sold for five 
thousand dollars, enabling James to realize a profit of several 
thousand on the sales. The following year he completed and 
sold five more for the same prices. Colonel Riddle had pur¬ 
chased the Lindsay saw-mill, and much of the material had 
been prepared on the grounds. The only restriction that was 
placed upon James’ actions was, that no house should exceed 
five thousand dollars in cost. The Company built a store at 
the same time, which it operated, and Angelo Price who lived 
in Snow Hill, moved to the site and built another store near 
the factory. The Protestant Episcopal Church built a 
chapel at the same time. This chapel was in charge of the 
Rev. Matthews, of All Hallows Church, at Snow Hill. The 
chancel may still be seen standing in the midst of a thicket 
of locusts and thorns, although the main part of the 
building is lying in a pile of ruins. 


90 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


This chapel is a good illustration of the great mistake made 
by our otherwise far-seeing ancestors. Within a short time 
after it was completed there was a Baptist church and a 
Methodist church in the same place. The same condition is 
found in many of the small towns of the country. Money 
has been wasted, human energy misspent, religious strife en¬ 
gendered, resulting in such ruins, or in several struggling, 
half-starved churches in a town of two or three hundred in¬ 
habitants. And the Master himself could not return now, 
and undo all the harm that has been done by that condition of 
affairs. The Methodists felt that the Episcopalians were not 
capable of administering to the needs of the people; they 
built a church to do that. The Episcopalians felt that the 
Baptists were imposing unnecessary rites, and fast rules of 
conduct upon the people; they built a church in which there 
was greater-moral freedom. On all denominations alike falls 
the blame, for not one is exempt. Religious bodies of today 
are reaping the fruits of this jealousy and rivalry. 

When these houses were completed James was given a new 
contract. The Company decided that all purposes would be 
served better by building a canal extending from the Poco- 
moke river to Klej Grange, so that boats could enter the 
canal at Mattaponi, and come up to the factory. The con¬ 
tract for this work was given to James. He had about a 
dozen white men in his employ who understood the work. 
Besides these he had nearly one hundred Negroes, who used 
pick and shovel in removing the dirt and trees. There were 
also several young farmers, who owned teams of mules and 
oxen, who were employed to do the heavy hauling. These 
were glad to be able to help in this work, for in this region, 
the farmers have very little work to do in the winter. The 
crops which they raise are all planted in the Spring of the 
year, for the ground is only a few feet above sea level, and 
cannot be worked in the Fall or Winter. 

Thus we see how elaborate were the plans of Colonel 


Some Rich Men Are Not Selfish 


91 


Riddle, a very rich man, yet an exceptional one, for his 
factory town among the pines. Neither were his plans sel¬ 
fish; but he desired to aid a whole country; a vast expanse 
of the finest land to be found anywhere in the Nation. His 
close friends, both in the City of Philadelphia and at Snow 
Hill never understood why he went such a distance to build, 
unless it was because he believed that this region would be¬ 
come a great cotton producing section. He never made them 
any satisfactory explanations, for he was a man who kept his 
business to himself. He marched, not as a conquerer, but as 
a benefactor. He had all the signs of true greatness written 
upon his noble face. Such men are often misunderstood, yet 
they are to be given much of the credit for the great 
development of our industrial Nation. 

Yet too often such men do not live to reap the reward or 
the praise for their greatness. Because they are great they 
are misunderstood by the simple. Wrong motives are at¬ 
tributed to them; men say they are selfish, and working 
for their own gain. Men have grown to distrust them because 
so many who assume greatness, have proven false and crim¬ 
inal. For this reason the people of Snow Hill, and of many 
other towns, did not give him the reception and the support 
that he deserved. And because they did not, his factory 
failed, for, with all his wealth, he was not able to support 
such an undertaking. But when the factory closed, he saw 
that it closed honorably. 

And what are the signs of true greatness? Can they be 
read by the man who possesses them ? Can they be read by 
friends or relatives of such a man? Some men just miss 
becoming great, because they are ignorant of these, for with 
all their training they have omitted these essentials. Many 
otherwise good teachers are failures as advisors, because 
they do not recognize these signs in the youths of their 
schools. And if a teacher fails as an advisor, he would be a 
greater success with pick and shovel, for nothing that has a 


92 The Gentleman From Maryland 

mind is safe under his influence. In the terms of the present 
day, many great men are catalogued as the “Near Great.” 

If usefulness and character are to be considered, hosts of 
men miss greatness because they have not conquered one or 
two petty failings. A man may be commonplace, yet there 
is nothing sad about that. This old world is made up, for the 
most part, of commonplace men; good neighbors, sound citi¬ 
zens, who turn elections; on whom the honor of society rests. 
If God meant a man to be ordinary, it is a pride to be so. 
The more ordinary he is, the more be the pride and praise 
to the man who proves great. 

When a boy starts out in life some friend ought to ask him 
whether he is going to think only of what he can do for 
himself, or about how he can make his fellowmen admire 
him. If a man pursues applause only, and not achievement, 
he will come far from hitting true greatness. 

If service is considered the world will consider any man 
great, who has done something that improves the life and 
chances of other men. However remarkable his abilities, a 
man who hopes only to attract the attention and applause of 
others, may be clever, but he will never be counted as one of 
the great. The saddest sight to be witnessed today, is the 
man who might wield a fine influence upon his fellowmen, 
but instead, becomes the cause of their downfall. He is as 
responsible to God as the prophet of old, who was told to 
prophesy truth to the people, but who prophesied falsehood. 
He needs the stones that were cast at such prophets. 

A man, to be great, must be venturesome, ready to lead, to 
try, to risk. Playing safe continually deadens courage. When 
courage is killed, especially moral courage, a man’s useful¬ 
ness to society is ended. Fears leap upon him whispering 
that there is danger ahead. The man of greatnes will arise 
in his might, and will silence such a check to greatness. 

A man says that he would like to see improvements in 
public government, more justice in industries, greater and 


Some Rich Men Are Not Selfish 


93 


better church or social relations; yet he has not the moral 
courage to oppose powerful interests that must be overcome. 
He may have the spark of greatness within him, but he 
smothers it by too much talk, and not enough action. The 
best fuel for such a spark is courage to do. Those who have 
won greatness in politics, religion, education, social advance¬ 
ment, or any other field, are men who know how to do, and 
men who do. The men who hide their talents still hear the 
voice of Christ condemning them, as their fellowmen point 
fingers of scorn at them. But the man who dares the right 
will accomplish wonders. 

If a man of such calibre dwells in your midst, even though 
he accumulates some worldly goods, acknowledge him by 
giving him your support. If he is not afraid to trade with 
the talents, which God has given him, give him your loyalty. 
If a man does much acting and little talking, so that he 
increases the God-given talents, accord him due praise and 
esteem. A world of unselfish men would be a world of 
giants. 

James Purnell had admitted that his friend, Colonel Rid¬ 
dle, had influenced him to believe that his life was not his 
own; but belonged to his community. He had studied his 
employer’s treatment of his men. He tried, in his turn, to 
imitate the Colonal. In this way he won the support and 
favor of all except those who had been his intimate friends. 
His greatest desire was to win them again. For that reason 
he had resolved to remain away from Snow Hill until the day 
of his trial; but he had not carried out his resolution made 
on the night of the dance at Irvin’s. He had mentioned that 
resolution to only one other person, Jane Riddle. 

It was during his visit to Philadelphia that he had men¬ 
tioned it. The morning after they had arrived he was sitting 
in the spacious drawing room at the home of the Riddles. 
The sisters had left, one by one, until Jane alone remained. 


94 The Gentleman From Maryland 

They spoke of the dance, and of the incident, already related, 
of that night. 

She said, “It was foolish of me to act so, yet I was glad 
to get away. I don’t like such men.” 

He replied, “I have always liked Walter. He and I were 
the best of friends, until a short time ago. That is the 
reason that I can’t understand why he has made such a 
charge against me.” 

“He must have some motive; and perhaps, a sincere one. 
But if I were you I would let him alone. You will find out 
the truth some time. The truth can’t be hid forever.” 

“How can he have a sincere motive when he did not see me 
take the money ? ” 

“He could be sincere if he thinks you took it. Remember 
that he is like many others, who will believe as he does until 
the truth is known. But at the same time I would not try 
to renew old relations with him until I knew the truth. Tell 
me who the other friend is whom you mentioned that night.” 

Then he told her, not only the name of the friend, but the 
confession that Nellie Bratten had made to him that night. 

“That is the reason,” he added, “that I have thought it 
better to leave the town. I am tempted to remain here, and 
write to your father asking him to release me.” 

“I don’t think that would be fair to him or to yourself. 
I speak as your friend, so let me again repeat my advice, 
that you stay at least until after the trial. Your leaving now, 
perhaps, would undo, in the minds of many, all that you 
have accomplished by staying so long.” 

She spoke with such earnestness that he decided to return. 
Before he left she asked him to write after the trial, telling 
her the outcome fully. You can’t be proven guilty. Justice 
is more sure than that,” she said. He promised to do as 
she had asked him, then returned to his hotel for the night. 

When he called the next morning before going to the 
train, she repeated her request. He thanked her for the 


Some Rich Men Are Not Selfish 


95 


interest which she had toward him, then bidding them all 
good-bye, he started for the station on his return trip. He 
was forced to confess to himself that he felt as though he 
were leaving his friends behind, although his mother and 
the Colonel were at the other end of the trip. 

It was late that night when he arrived home. His mother 
was waiting for him, and would not retire until she had heard 
all about his visit. After telling her the many incidents of 
his stay in the city he retired, but not to sleep. A question 
continued to revolve around in his brain. Why had he re¬ 
turned? Mr. Riddle would not have missed him for long. 
It is true that his mother would have been disappointed if 
he had not come home; but she would have understood. 
Then staying in the city until his trial would not have been 
breaking his bail, for he had been sent there by his bondsman. 
He wished that he had stayed. He felt that if it had not been 
for his mother he would have stayed; yet he admitted that 
that was not the main reason for his return. He had been 
influenced by the girl whose life he had saved. She had a 
quiet power about her that he liked very much; perhaps her 
judgment was the better. Well, no matter now, he was back 
and would make the best of it until the trial. He decided 
that he did riot want to do anything that might displease 
Jane, for she seemed to want him to do the right thing. 

Toward morning he dozed, but was awakened by his 
mother stirring around in the next room. Finding that day¬ 
light was coming he dressed for the day’s work. The Colonel 
rode past in a short time, and James joined him as he started 
for the Grange. It was during the ride that Colonel Riddle 
gave James permission to build the houses that proved to be 
the beginning of his business career. 

“You know something about lumber,” he had said. “And 
you may be able to make something if you are careful. 
Whatever you make honestly is yours. Of course I feel that 
I can trust you to treat all honorably, and desire to honor 


96 The Gentleman From Maryland 

the man who saved my daughter's life at the risk of his 
own." 

'‘I don’t feel that I need to be honored for that, Colonel," 
he had said. Yet he went about his work after that with a 
lighter heart. It is no small matter to feel that something 
you have done is appreciated. He was at least to be given 
a place among men. Yes, he knew lumber from one end to 
the other, and he could make something by building the 
houses. It seemed to be the opportunity for which he had 
waited; he hoped so, anyway. It meant success or failure. 
If he succeeded, he would not care so much for the attitude 
of his former friends. If he failed,—but he would not fail. 
Homes were in great demand, and the Colonel would be his 
security. Certainly, with his knowledge of lumber, he could 
build a good substantial house that would sell for five 
thousand dollars, and leave him a profit. Then the tempter 
entered into his plans. He saw how he could make hundreds 
by using cheap material, and no one would be the wiser. But 
only for the moment did he think thus. The example and the 
conversations of his great friend had stood him in good 
stead; he would not betray the trust reposed in him. He 
would also be serving his community at the same time. 


CHAPTER VIII 


A WITNESS DISAPPEARS 

About one week after James had been given this com¬ 
mission by Colonel Riddle the Fall term of court opened at 
Snow Hill. The chief item on the docket was the trial of 
James Purnell for theft. The headlines of the local paper 
blazed the fact throughout the region, and many came from 
a distance to be present at the trial. It was now the month 
of October, when the farmers had little or nothing to do. 
Therefore, knowing James well by becoming acquainted with 
him at the lumber yard, where they often came for lumber, 
they were interested and anxious to know whether he had 
taken the money. Then too, court week through the South 
is always an important time. County seats are always 
crowded during this week. In every American county seat, 
where the Anglo-Saxon has remained undisturbed, the court 
houses are well attended at this time. Especially is this true 
in the South and Southwest. The American of Anglo-Saxon 
descent seems to be a born lawyer, and the most difficult 
problem that statesmen have is to write laws that leave no 
loophole through which the average American might squeeze. 
There are more lawyers in America, in proportion to the 
population than in any other country, and there is a more 
general knowledge of law than anywhere else. Americans 
ought to be the greatest law-keeping peoples, rather than the 
greatest law-breakers in the world. 

James had looked forward to this week with both expecta¬ 
tion and dread; expectation that he would be freed at this 
time; dread that he might not be able to prove himself inno¬ 
cent. There was no way that he could prove that he had 


98 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


not taken the money. He had been in the office alone, and 
on that rested the burden of the proof. If Roy Gordy con¬ 
tinued to insist that he had made the key for him, then he 
was helpless. He had tried to talk to Gordy, who was 
working on the factory building, but he would not talk. 
Colonel Riddle had also hoped to learn the truth from 
Gordy, but he had so far been unable to do so. James and 
the Colonel both were depending now on the ability of their 
counsel, who was a noted barrister from Accomac. Mr. 
Weston had the reputation of winning cases that seemed im¬ 
possible, by an extraordinary combination of wit and ridicule, 
which he hurled against his opponents. James faced his 
lawyer this day with almost the same feeling that a soldier, 
who has been condemned to be shot at sunrise for sleeping 
at his post, awaits the coming of that sun that will bring 
death, or a pardon from the only man who can give it, his 
president. 

The whole town of Snow Hill was stirred long before the 
court crier opened the session, on the first day, from the 
steps of the Court House. Early in the morning people had 
begun to assemble on the lawn in hopes that they would be 
in time to get inside. James’ trial would be the first item. 
It was even necessary for Colonel Riddle to declare a holi¬ 
day at the factory, for the men had grown to think so much 
of Jim that they wanted to be presnt. Nearly every man at 
Klej Grange had asked to be present. 

As the clock struck nine the crier opened the session in 
the usual way by announcing that the court would begin. 
He was an old man, and had said the same thing so often 
that it could not be understood except by those who knew 
what he was supposed to be saying. Then the sheriff threw 
open the doors, and admitted the waiting crowd. The court 
room had become packed when young Judge Jones took his 
place on the bench. The State’s Attorney, William Stanton, 
conducted the prosecution, while Mr. Weston, assisted by 


A Witness Disappears 


99 


Francis Wailes, of Salisbury, had charge of the defense. 
James was called to the stand, and sworn by the clerk. 
There was no jury, for Judge Jones, although very young, 
had won the reputation of never making any but fair de¬ 
cisions ; and those who knew him preferred to be judged by 
him rather than to place themselves in the hands of a jury 
that might be inefficient, or even bribed. James was well 
content to let his case rest with the court. It would also save 
time, perhaps; a jury might disagree, thus making a new 
trial necessary. 

The Judge read the charge to James, the same, practically, 
that had been read to him by Squire Townsend. Then he 
asked that oft repeated question, “Are you guilty or not 
guilty ?” With one exception, that question has been asked 
on more occasions than any other. This question and the 
exception are as far apart in meaning as the poles of the 
earth. Its exception is: “Do you love me?” If lovers 
were placed on oath as often as the question is asked, there 
would be more perjured lovers than perjured witnesses and 
prisoners. 

When James heard this question he experienced conflicting 
emotions. Therefore, he hesitated a few minutes before he 
answerd, “Most certainly I am not guilty.” 

Then he was given permission to tell what he knew. 

“I do not know anything about it,” he said. “I knew 
nothing about it until Squire Townsend told me that I was 
accused of taking it. I was in the office when Walter came 
in, and I remained in there until he had locked up for the 
night; then we left together. I did not dream that Mr. 
Gambrill had lost any money until I heard it at the office of 
Squire Townsend.” 

“Is that all you know about it ? ” asked Mr. Stanton. 

“That is absolutely all.” 

The State’s Attorney asked him several other trivial ques- 


100 The Gentleman From Maryland 

tions, but seemed inclined not to go into the matter very 
deeply. 

Whaley was then called and sworn. Under oath he re¬ 
peated practically the same story that he had told before. 
When he was cross-questioned by Mr. Wailes he stuck to 
the original narration. He was then permitted to take his 
seat. 

The next witness that Mr. Stanton called was Roy Gordy. 
As the clerk called his name he did not answer. The sheriff 
was dispatched to find him while the court waited; but such 
interruptions are of common occurrence in these rural court 
houses. When the officer appeared in a few minutes without 
the witness, there was great excitement for a few minutes. 
The officer reported that he could not find Gordy anywhere. 
He had been in the court room when the trial began, but he 
had slipped out without anyone knowing that he had gone. 
None of the witnesses had been watched; of course no one 
felt that Gordy would disappear. But he did, for some 
reason. It was no use for the trial to proceed without the 
most important witness, therefore the Judge dismissed the 
court after granting the state authorities one hour during 
which to find the lost witness. Several men followed the 
sheriff on the manhunt, but with no success. Gordy seemed 
to have dropped from the earth. 

While these men were searching for him Mr. Stanton 
demanded that the defense produce his witness. “Where 
have you hid him?” he asked of Mr. Weston. 

The gentleman addressed seemed to have lost all patience 
with his opponent. “A man with any quantity of brains 
would not insinuate such a thing. Are you subject to such 
mental lapses?” he asked of Stanton. 

“Now, look here, Weston, if you and I were to knock 
our heads together, who would be the first to die of soften¬ 
ing of the brain ? ” 

“Why, I would,” quickly replied the Virginian. 


A Witness Disappears 


101 


A roar of laughter swept the room at Stanton’s expense. 
Even Purnell, himself, was forced to smile at the wit of his 
attorney. Stanton said no more, but sat gloomily watching 
the door while he waited for the return of the sheriff. 

At the expiration of the hour the sheriff again returned. 
He said that not a man could be found who had seen any¬ 
thing of the witness. The fact was, that nearly every man in 
the town was in the court room; they could not be expected 
to know anything about Gordy. The judge severely repri¬ 
manded the officer for neglect of duty, but deep in his honest 
heart he was glad that the man was gone. There was 
nothing left for him to do but to pass the decision of the 
court. This he did in the following words: 

“In as much as the evidence at hand is not sufficient to 
convict the defendant of this crime, the court finds that the 
prosecution has failed to prove his case, and therefore de¬ 
clares the prisoner not guilty; and orders his immediate 
release.” 

There was a murmur of applause from many in the room. 
The sudden disappearance of Gordy had undoubtedly turned 
the tide somewhat in favor of James. So fickle are crowds 
that they are blown about by every wind of doubtful opinion. 
Disappointment was clearly stamped on the face of Whaley. 
Mr. Gambrill felt that the judge should have produced the 
keys at least; but it was really unnecessary, for the man who 
claimed to have made the duplicate could not be found. 

When the crowd had left the court house several of 
James’ friends, who had snubbed him, now congratulated 
him, having shifted the blame from him to Gordy. They 
felt that this was the logical thing to do. But James did not 
agree with them in this judgment; he felt that he did not 
know. As Gordy could not be punished his wife and chil¬ 
dren were forced to bear the blame. Her nearest neighbor 
called her a “she-thief,” and the playmates of the Gordy 
children called them “sons and daughters of a thief.” These 


102 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


thrusts did not harm the children, who soon forgot, but the 
sensitive heart of Mrs. Gordy was wounded deeply. Her 
father had told her, when she married Gordy that she was 
making a mistake; but like many others, she married for 
love, and she was now suffering for that love. 

One of the ways that she suffered was: by being turned 
out of her home by Mr. Gambrill, who owned the house in 
which the family lived. That very evening he came to the 
house and ordered her to vacate within twenty-four hours. 
It is thus that the innocent are forced to suffer with the 
guilty. She had no place to go, and no one to whom she 
could look for help. 

Yes, there was one to whom she could look for aid. That 
same evening Mrs. Ward called to see her. To her Mrs. 
Gordy told her troubles. From her the troubled mother re¬ 
ceived consolation, as many others had done on as many 
different occasions. 

“I never seen such a man in all my lif6,’^ Mrs. Ward had 
indignantly said. “Hope I may die, if I couldn’t choke him 
with my own hands. But you jest wait ’til tomorrow. I 
know where you can go. 

That same night Mrs. Ward stopped at the home of 
James Purnell. He had moved from the small house, on 
the edge of town, to the old Purnell home on Market Street, 
near Washington. The house sits a few yards back from 
the street leading toward Berlin. The house, which is long 
and narrow, was formerly built of logs, but is now covered 
with clapboards. The roof, which is very steep, extends to 
the first story, and has three gables on each side. These 
allow light to shine into the second story, which contains the 
bed rooms. The rooms in the first story extend the full 
width of the house. Contrary to the present style of build¬ 
ing, this house has its longest side facing the street. There¬ 
fore three of its gables may be seen from Market street. 
Against each end there is a large brick chimney, each one 


A Witness Disappears 


103 


leading up from an old time fireplace. It is one of the very 
few houses built by the first settlers of this region that is 
still standing. There are two doors that open toward Market 
street, one of them leading to the parlor, and the other to 
the kitchen. The house has no porch, but there is a portico 
built over each one of these entrances. Owing to the fact 
that the house has been in the same family ever since it was 
built, it has had the best of care. 

As Mrs. Ward entered the kitchen door without knocking, 
for only strangers knock before entering in the South, she 
found James and his mother sitting before the old fireplace 
in which his ancestors had prepared many meals. Mrs. 
Ward lost no time in announcing the reason for her visit. 

“Do you know what Asa Gambrill has done ? ” she asked. 

“Has he found his money? ” James inquired. 

“Worse than that. Hope I may die, if he hasn’t turned 
Roy’s wife and kids out of their home.” 

“It can’t be possible, Anne,” Mrs. Purnell answered in a 
quiet voice. 

“It is possible; it’s God’s truth.” 

“Where are they going? ” asked James. 

“Can’t tell to save my life, unless they are coming here.” 

There was deep silence for a time. Mrs. Ward knew how 
to get results. Directly James spoke: “Mother, I reckon 
Mrs. Ward is right. It seems the very thing for you. I 
am away nearly all the time, and they will be company for 
you. But I don’t believe they would come, Mrs. Ward.” 

“I know what you’re thinking, Jim. She is a Moore, and 
as proud as any of them, if her pa won’t have anything to do 
with her. But we can fix that. You go down there, and 
tell her that you have been looking for someone to stay with 
your mother; that you think her the very person. You do 
that this very night; I’ll bet she comes. I’ll stay with your 
ma ’till you come back.” 

James did as he was told, and found Mrs. Gordy in a very 


104 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


disconsolate mood. When he entered the door the woman 
thought that he had come to look for Roy. 

“He is not here,” she said, without waiting to hear him 
speak. 

“I have not come to see Roy, I want to talk to you.” 
Then her old manner exerted itself, and very courteously, 
she offered him a chair. 

James continued, “I find that I am not the only unfor¬ 
tunate one of this town, Mrs. Gordy. I have come here to 
ask you to make your home with us. Colonel Riddle wants 
me to remain at the factory as soon as it starts. I can’t do 
it unless I can find someone to stay. Today I was talking to 
Mrs. Ward about it, and she suggested you. The house is 
big enough for two small families, and you may live there, 
rent free, if you will look after the property. Mother is 
getting too old to attend to anything outside.” 

It did not take Mrs. Gordy long to decide; it was the only 
thing that she could do. In doing so she thanked James, 
stating that she supposed that she would have to move in 
the morning. 

“All right,” he answered, “but don’t thank me; thank Mrs. 
Ward, who told me that you would come. I expected that 
I would have a difficult time to find someone to stay with 
mother.” 

“I do thank Mrs. Ward; I don’t know what this town 
would do without her.” 

As he left the house, he remarked that he hoped that 
nothing serious had happened to Roy. The young mother re¬ 
plied that it was a puzzle to her. “He has been acting queer 
for some time, James. When he is at home he does nothing 
but think and talk to himself. When I ask him what he is 
saying, he will not tell me. I don’t know what has become 
of him.” 

When James reached home he found that Mrs. Ward was 


A Witness Disappears 


105 


still waiting for him. As he entered she greeted him with, 
“Well, is she coming? ” 

“Yes, she is, Mrs. Ward.” 

“I knowed she would, honey. I have always liked that 
girl, and ever since she left home I have seen that she is 
tickled to death to see me when I go there. Poor soul, she 
hasn’t many pleasures. Her pa might help her now, if he 
could forgive.” 

“Are you going to help her move?” 

“Certainly, I’ll have to do that, although Mrs. Johnson’s 
baby has the croup, and she has sent for me. I told her to 
tie some strands of black silk around its neck, and to let 
them hang down over the breast. If they have done that I 
am sure it is better. That is a sure remedy.” 

“Well, Mrs. Gordy needs you to look after her babies, 
too.” 

“I’ll do it; don’t you worry about that, honey. But I 
must go now. Don’t you worry any more, Miss Purnell; 
James is free now; Roy don’t amount to much, but I believe 
he done a good turn for his wife and everybody else when he 
run away. Hope he stays away; good-night.” 


CHAPTER IX 


THE AFFAIR AT SANDY HILL 

After Mrs. Ward had gone the mother and son sat long 
into the night discussing the hopes, the fears, and the trials 
that they had undergone during the eventful day. As they 
sat by the fireplace, the stern, proud expression of James’ 
face, that closely resembled the face of the painting of his 
great-grandmother, who looked down at him from the 
mantel, changed into one more tender and more gentle. 

“This has been my day of days,” the mother said. “I have 
longed for it; waited for it; yet with fear and trembling. 
Now I know that a greater strength than my own has sup¬ 
ported me. Now that all is happily ended I feel that I am 
almost exhausted. I think I will retire now; you better come 
too; it will not be long before morning.” 

James did not feel that things were as well as his mother 
seemed to think. But he said nothing. He knew that the 
people of the town would not be satisfied until the real thief 
had been found. He had not been discovered so far, but 
because of the lack of evidence James had been excused. 
But to his mother he said, “Mother, whatever my life may 
become, I will never feel more proud of myself than I felt 
today, to be your son. I rejoice for myself, that I am free, 
but more so for you. Knowing how you hate wrong, and 
how much you love me, what trial had I, compared with 
yours? What pain had I to feel compared with yours? Yet 
your very presence, and the encouraging smile that never left 
your lips during the trial, kept me from becoming bitter. 
Through it all I knew the hidden ache within your heart at 


The Affair at Sandy Hill 


10 7 


seeing your son on trial for theft. May I never come before 
the seat of an earthly judge again.” 

“Many an innocent man has sat there before. Some of 
them have not been as fortunate as you. We ought to thank 
God that the better spirit of Gordy led him to escape before 
he swore to that false testimony again. Just think, James, 
how his wife and children must feel tonight. We have just 
passed through it and can sympathize with them. I hope 
that we may be able to help them. But come; it is getting 
late, and you must go to the Grange early in the morning.” 

“Not yet, mother, I have a letter to write. I will not be 
long, I must do it now, for I will not have time to do it in 
the morning.” 

“You can write it tomorrow night.” 

“But it must be mailed tomorrow; I promised, mother, and 
it will not take long.” 

“Good-night then; don’t stay up longer than necessary, 
for you look tired.” 

“Good-night, mother,” he answered, as he started for 
paper and pen. 

It was only a short note that he wrote, yet it revealed to 
Jane Riddle his great joy at being exonerated. It brought to 
her another satisfaction; he had remembered his promise to 
her, and, after two months, had kept it. It bore a disap¬ 
pointment to her, too; it contained no hint that he had any 
especial interest in her. He expressed no desire to see her 
again. She thought that he might have written a warmer 
note to one whose life he had saved. 

Some women are not satisfied to have their lives saved; 
they feel that it takes a lifetime to recompense their saviors. 

And some men, however clever in business affairs, are too 
dull to follow up such an advantage. When James had writ¬ 
ten the letter he felt that his obligation had been canceled. 
As he retired his thoughts turned to one nearer home. Now 
that his mind was free from a great care he had more time 


108 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


to think of Nellie. The more effort he made to dismiss her 
from his thoughts, the more difficult it seemed to do. He 
went to sleep thinking of her; he dreamed of her; he heard 
her calling him; he saw her struggling in the water; he 
jumped to save her, but awakened to find himself sitting on 
the floor of his room. Girls jnay be saved from the water; 
it is a more difficult matter to save them from their own 
determination. 

As it was getting late he arose to dress. Then he called his 
mother who had overslept, because her mind had been set at 
rest. During the entire day he worked as one in a trance. 
He was glad when the day was over, and he could return to 
his home. 

As he started home with Colonel Riddle his friend said: 
“When do you think that you will be able to stay at the fac¬ 
tory at night? I am too old to remain, and it seems impos¬ 
sible to get anyone in whom I have confidence. I know of 
no one more trustworthy than you are. If we could arrange 
for someone to stay with your mother, do you think that you 
could do that for me? Just the presence of someone like 
you on the place would be a check to anyone who intended 
mischief.” 

In his present mental mood, nothing could have pleased 
James better. The Colonel had spoken to him about it 
before, and Mrs. Gordy had made it possible for him to stay. 
He could stay away from Snow Hill, yet close enough to 
see his mother as often as he wished. 

“I believe I will do it,” he answered. “Mrs. Gordy 
intended to move into our house today.” 

“Mrs. Gordy? Why?” 

“Gambrill and Company have turned her out of her 
home.” James could not bring himself to put the blame on 
Mr. Gambrill; he still thought a great deal of the old gentle¬ 
man. 

The Colonel remained in thought for some time, then 


The Affair at Sandy Hill 


109 


replied, “All right, James, I will arrange for you to live in 
the nearest house where you can see the factory building at 
any time. I can then leave with more satisfaction and 
security.” 

While he was eating his supper that night his mother said 
to him: “Mrs. Gordy seemed so delighted to be here. Mrs. 
Ward took the baby home with her while its mother was get¬ 
ting things straight. She has gone for it now. Do you 
expect to stay at the Grange now ? ” 

“I might as well, I reckon. I was not satisfied to leave 
you before, but now I have no excuse, and Colonel Riddle 
wants me to stay.” 

The next morning found Mrs. Gordy well established in 
the home of James, who determined to remain at Klej Grange 
that night. As he rode to his work that morning with 
Colonel Riddle his friend announced to him that he had 
bought the Covington Mansion, which stands on Church 
Street and Virginia Road, adjoining the property of Mr. 
Irvin, where he had been making his home since the visit 
of his daughters. He intended to return to Philadelphia 
the following week, when he would make arrangements for 
the transfer of his furniture and his family. His daughters 
would return with him when he came back, and live with him 
in the new home. 

“That is the main reason,” he concluded, “that I desired 
to have you at the factory. I believe Mr. Tarr is trust¬ 
worthy, but you can be a great aid to him. There is safety in 
numbers, you know.” 

James heard this announcement with no show of unusual 
interest. Concerning his new work at the factory he replied 
that he believed that he would like the arranagement very 
well. Mr. Tarr, the manager of the property, was a good 
friends of his who lived in the large house adjoining the 
factory. It was with this family that James took up his 
residence at Klej Grange. 


110 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


It was while James lived here that an incident happened, 
which strengthened the resolve which he made after the death 
of Mr. Mason, of Stockton. The second day of November 
was Election day. On that day the men at Klej Grange went 
to Stockton to cast their votes. James was to vote that 
year for the first time, therefore he was at Stockton too. He 
was a helpless witness to all that took place there. 

‘‘Personal liberty” cranks try to prove to us that there are 
more drunkards since the saloons have been closed than 
ever before. Of course no thinking man believes them, for 
experience proves them false. In the days when every 
grocery store sold whiskey and rum, it was a common sight 
to see a crowd of intoxicated men around these stores. The 
saloon was established by law to end this condition, but we 
see how that failed. It merely moved this crowd from the 
public gaze, and placed it behind frosted windows. Even 
when another law was passed to force the keepers of these 
places to remove the blinds and stained glass in order that 
the public might see what they were doing, ninety out of one 
hundred disregarded the law. Thus we see that the condition 
was not remedied by these hypocritical reformers, who tried 
to substitute one evil for another. They merely robbed the 
storekeeper of some of his profits. The evil continued with¬ 
out check. Especially was this evil pronounced on Election 
day, when nearly every man assembled in the towns, where 
they remained for the entire day. Here they met the politi¬ 
cian, who treated them freely, in return for which he received 
their votes in many instances. 

On this particular day some politicians were assembled at 
Mason and Son’s store, where whiskey was being dealt out 
freely. The men from the Grange were there in a body, 
but not all were drinking. Colonel Riddle forbade the sale 
of liquor at the store at Klej Grange, therefore the men who 
drank had laid in a supply. Walter Whaley and the me¬ 
chanic from Baltimore, whose name was Hancock, had ac- 


The Affair at Sandy Hill 111 

companied the political speakers from Snow Hill, because 
they knew the men, whom the politicians wished to meet. 
These two young men had become fast friends during the 
few weeks that they had known each other. They were stand¬ 
ing among the men from the factory when a tramp, whom 
no one knew or ever saw, entered the store. He bought some 
cheese and crackers, then passed out without showing any 
desire to molest anyone. As he passed by the men from the 
Grange, Hancock stepped from the group, and blocked his 
way to the door. He then offered him a drink, but the tramp, 
showing no desire for the liquor, brushed him aside, and 
passed into the street. 

“What do you think of that?” roared the half drunken 
mechanic, “A dirty tramp refuses a drink from a gentle¬ 
man ! ” 

“Let’s fetch him back! ” shouted Whaley, “I reckon when 
we’re through with him, he will know how to treat his 
inferiors.” He meant the opposite, but in his condition he 
unwittingly drew a true conparison. 

By this time the tramp was some distance down the Vir¬ 
ginia Road. Grabbing a piece of rope from the counter, 
Hancock, followed by Whaley and several of the men, rushed 
after him. The tramp, seeing them coming, took fright, 
and outran them because he was sober, and had gotten a good 
start. When several of the men stopped, Hancock returned 
to the store, where he found a horse tied to the post across 
the street. With the borrowed horse he was able to overtake 
the tramp, who did not suspect that it was the same man 
returning. He detained the man, who was tired from run¬ 
ning, until the rest came up, then with the help of several 
others, he tied the tramp with the rope, and half dragged 
him back to the store. Having securely tied him they pro¬ 
ceeded to “drench” him with whiskey. They pried open his 
mouth by using a small chisel, then poured down a portion, 
which the helpless man swallowed without resistance. 


112 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“Ain’t this a town where every man has a right to exercise 
liberty? ” the man asked. “I don’t want any more.” 

“We’ll teach you to refuse to drink with gentlemen,” 
remarked Hancock. 

When the man refused to swallow any more, someone held 
his nose, while Hancock continued to pour more liquor into 
his mouth, until James Purnell, who could stand it no longer, 
interfered. 

“Let the man alone! ” he commanded. There was fire in 
his voice and eyes. 

“Who made you a ruler over us ? ” asked Hancock. “I’ll 
learn him to refuse to drink with a gentleman! ” 

“If you are a gentleman, you’ll let the man go.” James 
placed a hand upon Hancock’s shoulder. 

With an oath Hancock sprang to his feet. “I’ll teach you 
to interfere, D- you,” he shouted. Then striking sav¬ 

agely at James with his drenching bottle, he lost his bal¬ 
ance, and fell head first into a tub of brine and meat. He 
staggered reeling to his feet, choking with the brine which 
dripped from his mouth and face. A shout of laughter 
greeted him, but he did not return to the unfortunate man 
lying on the floor. 

“He’s pickled all right,” remarked someone, as another 
shout of merriment rang out. They were having their fun 
all right. 

When the tramp was released he started toward Pocomoke, 
either because he was bewildered, or because he was intoxi¬ 
cated. He had not staggered far until he was overtaken by 
a farmer, who was returning to his home. This good Sa¬ 
maritan, after helping the man into his wagon, took him to a 
vacant house that stands near the Cross Roads, where the 
poor fellow’s body was found the next day, by a passing 
Negro. The man was dead, perhaps from heart failure 
caused by the brutal treatment he had received at the hands 
of a mob, who were bent upon exercising the so-called right 



The Affair at Sandy Hill 


113 


of personal liberty, in the store of Mason and Son. The 
house where he was found is called Sheephouse, and is be¬ 
lieved, by the Negroes, to be haunted even today. They will 
not go past it at night, for they believe that murdered man 
will return, and visit retribution on anyone that he catches. 

When James returned to Snow Hill, after spending two 
weeks at Klej Grange, in order to spend Sunday with his 
mother, he found that Colonel Riddle had arrived with his 
family, and was living in the Covington Mansion. He had 
reached Snow Hill on Friday, but had not gone to the fac¬ 
tory, because it had been necessary for him to aid the ser¬ 
vants in placing the furniture which had arrived earlier in 
the week. 

The mother and son attended church at Makemie Memorial 
that Sunday, for they had stopped going to church, because— 
as James explained to Mr. McMaster—many of the members 
did not want them. Now that better times had come they felt 
that they might return. 

Their venerable pastor preached a wonderful sermon that 
morning. His theme was “The Day of the Common Man/’ 
The discourse was typical of the man who was delivering it, 
the faithful rural pastor, who preached at the three oldest 
churches along the Pocomoke, although “advised” and criti¬ 
cised by his more “advanced” brethren of the cities, as many 
other men in the country churches have been treated; but, 
nevertheless, who lead the thought of their nation. He was a 
scholar to the very core, a deep thinker, a man of vision; not 
the sleek, well-fed pastor, who caters to the crowd; not the 
Pharisee, who wins popularity by never mentioning certain 
portions of the Bible; not the self-centered, who deny the 
existence of Hell, or who destroy our faith in the Bible as 
the word of God, the inspired word, because they do not 
believe it. Mr. McMaster’s sermons were spiritual, because 
they were based on the Bible and Christ as the Saviour of the 
human race. He could have had a city church, but in spite of 


114 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


what might be said to the contrary, he did not want such a 
small sphere of influence. The city churches live today, 
not because they are self-supporting, but because their ranks 
are being filled up by new recruits, who have first joined the 
rural congregations. The great majority of ministers and 
church officers of the city congregations are men who were 
born and taught in country churches. They have been 
trained by men who breathed the spirit of Christ because they 
emphasized a soul to be saved, a soul that would be brought 
to judgment. Popularity may catch the visitor to the city, 
but the great mass of those who dwell in the cities, never 
enter a place of worship, or hear the name of Christ, except 
as it is used in vain. Ninety-nine per cent of the people who 
live in such communities as Mr. McMaster administered to, 
are regular church attendants. They don’t go to be amused, 
but because they know that they will hear the word of God. 
The great majority of pastors are in the country because they 
do not desire popularity from man; rather they desire to do 
the will of him that sent them to preach. 

“This is the day of the common man,” said the pastor. 
“On him falls the burden of reconstruction. Someone has 
asked why only one man in a million develops a quality 
known as genius. Each age brings to people new respon¬ 
sibilities, new revelations of themselves; a clearer idea of 
their birthright, and newer visions of the future. When a 
nation glories less in genius than in wealth and resources, 
that nation is ruled by commercialism. Some great catas¬ 
trophe must bear upon it the fact that it has a soul, and that 
its highest aim is to be able to employ that soul in doing serv¬ 
ice to the world that no other nation can do. 

“Our nation was in danger of losing its soul. Genius was 
dying, but through great travail it has been born again. It 
is the most religious nation in the world, and this new spirit 
must lead it in the path of Christian democracy. 

“The struggle may have originated in selfishness; but it 


The Affair at Sandy Hill 


115 


has developed into a crusade to conquer the heart of man. 
The new master must come from the heart of the middle 
class. The leaders of our nation, with few exceptions, have 
come from that class. The late president was a rail-splitter 
and a lawyer; the successful general started as a driver of 
canal mules, and the greatest percentage of our congressmen 
are from this class. This tends to prove to us that we are 
living in an age of ‘The Common Man/ 

“If our great democracy must have a new birth; if our 
commercial interests must have a new birth; then the soul of 
man must also be born again; it must be born into unselfish 
service; born into Christ our Lord. There must be new 
standards of wealth and of living; new standards to guide 
our religious life. We must grow broader; our religion must 
become more democratic; we must cease the struggle against 
the fulfillment of the very spirit of our Constitution. 

“Yet we must not surrender the doctrines that we hold 
dear. We must change, but the word of God cannot change. 
Our vision of service must be world-wide. We no longer 
must exist as New Englanders, or Southerners, or even 
Americans. We must serve the world by becoming citizens 
of the world, yet we must be tied to America by every tie of 
loyalty, and devotion, and service. We must make, not only 
America safe, but the world. And this great task must be 
accomplished by the common people, whose souls have been 
born anew, through the love of Christ who died for the 
world. 

“But there is a warning that goes with this. The common 
man is endangered by the position he holds. Life is becoming 
too easy for him. As he becomes rich, and the struggle eases 
he will become luxurious; the curse of every nation that 
has been destroyed. He will neglect his children; he will 
neglect his home; he will neglect his God; and cling to his 
business. What shall it profit him ? Will his children be able 
to forgive him? Will His God forgive him for not keeping 


116 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


the faith of his fathers, who struggled to the position we now 
hold through the most trying and arduous routes ? 

“What will be the judgment of the youth of two hundred 
years hence? They will read of the glories of democracy; of 
our devotion to law; of our love and respect for the Consti¬ 
tution and the fathers who wrote it; they will speak of our 
readiness to die for the liberty and justice for which our flag 
stands. But our deeds must prove the same as our words. 
They will not forgive if they see all this work trampled in 
the dust by a strife between those who hold the purse and 
those who receive the pay-envelope. They will not forgive 
when they see any part of the Constitution broken by the 
very men who are elected to support it. 

“We are living extravagantly as compared with the Pil¬ 
grims. We are rapidly degenerating as a religious nation 
because of the evils we do for money. These things must 
cease, if we wish to exist. They will cease, if every man be¬ 
comes a follower of God, and does not desert His principles. 
Let every man feel that God ‘Sends the rain upon the just 
and the unjust/ but that the just are the only ones who reap 
the everlasting harvest of that rain.” 

Thus the prophets of all time have spoken. Thus they 
have pointed out to us mistakes and results. How many are 
wise enough to heed the warning? 


CHAPTER X 


DISCUSSING A SERMON 

The sermon was over, and the worshippers, as usual, 
began to form in small groups in different parts of the build¬ 
ing and on the street, while they talked of the sermon, and 
various other subjects. The Colonel beckoned for James to 
join his family, who were talking to the minister. Jane es¬ 
pecially showed her gladness at meeting him again. Mr. 
Riddle invited him, his mother, and Mr. McMaster to take 
dinner with his family. Mr. Irvin and Nan were also asked, 
for Howard had gone to Berlin, and Nan’s sister was at 
school. Therefore, it was a happy group that went to the 
new home of the Riddle family that day for dinner. 

The members of this group had not been together since the 
night of the dance at Irvin’s house, and they had much to 
talk about. After they had assembled around the table, the 
sermon was the first subject that entered for comment. It 
was the cause of the first occasion of disagreement between 
the Colonel and Mr. Irvin. The Colonel was a staunch Re¬ 
publican of New England stock, while Mr. Irvin was a true 
disciple of the democracy of the “Solid South.” It was 
inevitable that two men of such divergent views would hold 
different opinions upon the questions of the day, although 
their entire discussion was free from any bitterness in tone 
or manner. Sometimes good-natured banter was exchanged, 
but it left no sting, as is the case with men of more narrow 
views. They both showed the marks of the true gentleman, 
even in the heat of argument. 

Perhaps Kipling has succeeded better than any other man 
in giving a true definition of a gentleman, in his short mas- 


118 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


terpiece “If.” Because each age has produced and defined 
its own class of gentlemen, it is impossible to write a defin¬ 
ition that includes all; yet it is safe to say that, in all ages, the 
true gentleman was the man who, under stress of emotion, 
had perfect control of himself during argument, and ac¬ 
cepted, either victory or defeat with the same cool delibera¬ 
tion, recognizing at all times that his opponent has feelings 
and rights of opinion that must not be injured nor sup¬ 
pressed. 

When the dinner was over, and the men had retired for 
their smoke, Mr. Irvin said: “I take issue with Mr. McMas- 
ter on the point made, that there must be no Northerners nor 
Southerners; that we must all be Americans. In one sense 
that will be brought about; in another sense it will never be 
realized. Because of the fact that the civilization of the Old 
South was as unique as that of Greece or Rome, it has left 
its indelible stamp upon the Southerner. He will exist as 
long as the Mason and Dixon line exists. That line is imagi¬ 
nary and cannot be destroyed. The wealth, and the wealth 
alone, of the North has destroyed a part of the South; but 
the spirit will exist forever. Roman and Greek civilizations 
were destroyed by the barbarians, but the two nations exist, 
and their culture has influenced every nation of the world.” 

“Your old government was aristocratic,” charged the 
Colonel. 

“Of course it was, in the sense that its destinies were di¬ 
rected by men of wealth and education. The same has 
always been true of every nation on earth, and will continue 
to be true.” 

“The Negro is now a citizen, but you are organizing every¬ 
where to keep him from having a voice in the government. 
If this condition prevails your policy will be as cruel and 
unfair as before the war.” 

“Another charge hatched in the North,” replied Mr. Irvin. 
“We will undoubtedly go down in history as dominating 


Discussing a Sermon 


119 


masters of the unfortunate slave; yet how do you account 
for the faithfulness and devotion shown by the slaves to 
their masters during the war? It is unparalleled in his¬ 
tory. You of the North have many of them with you. In 
Philadelphia there is a large settlement; have you given them 
any share in the government of the city? We are watching 
you Republicans, but we have not noticed any strides in 
that direction, and do not expect to, because you fear that 
the Negro will think too much of you and change his place of 
abode to the North. We will give him a vote as soon as he 
is qualified to use it, the same applies to ignorant white men. 
But you give him the vote without allowing him the right to 
hold office. He doesn’t gain much that way. 

“And speaking of the slaves,” continued Mr. Irvin, “you 
have a larger class of slaves than we ever had. The con¬ 
dition of your working class is far worse than the Negro 
ever experienced, and the next civil war we have in this 
country will be to liberate the workers. It is true that you 
pay him wages, but that acts only as a blind to his real 
condition. The day will come when they will rise in their 
might and demand the rights which you think do not exist.” 

“Your civilization, being semi-barbarous in its barrenness, 
never added anything to the life of the world, but merely 
hindered the march of progress.” 

“You are laboring under false impressions, Colonel. From 
the very first we have led in every movement toward democ¬ 
racy, and the defense of the inalienable rights and justice of 
the people. A true record of our acts will speak for itself.” 

“Where the Negro was concerned, you did not recognize 
such rights until forced to.” 

“You have not recognized the rights of the laboring man, 
and will not until forced to. Who brought us the slaves? 
Your Yankee traders; then as soon as the great majority 
of the states of the South prohibited slavery, and recog¬ 
nizing that you could not produce commodities as economi- 


120 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


cally as we could in the South your commercial interests 
brought on the cruel war that could have been averted, if 
President Lincoln, a son of the South, had been trusted, and 
given time to work out his plans. Because he was a South¬ 
erner he was not trusted. All war could be averted if 
commercial men were not so hot-headed. ,, 

“Why do you claim Lincoln, who was elected by the 
Republicans ? ” 

“We claim him because he was born and reared under 
the influence and the environment of that civilization, and 
government, and ideals of our fathers. We claim him for the 
same reason that we claim Washington, and Jefferson, and 
Madison. These men, with others, among whom was a 
leading Northerner, saved the nation in her critical period. 
But the only man who has been criticised for not being fair 
and honest at that time was the great financial secretary, 
who was that Northerner. We claim him for the reason that 
we claim Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Patrick Henry, Yancy, 
John Paul Jones, Semmes, Grant, and Farragut. We claim 
him for the reason that the majority of our presidents have 
come from the South, or Southern parentage. The prin¬ 
cipal American leaders in all of our wars have been southern 
men. Injustice has been done them, but in spite of that their 
glory shall not fade, because they stood for the flag and that 
liberty born in them by the strain of blood brought to the 
Old South by the Cavalier. Born to rule; by that fierce 
love of liberty, political and religious, and well balanced 
steadiness of Scotch-Irish and French Huguenot, which pro¬ 
duced a race of heroes, they will continue to do so. ,, 

“Can no credit be given to men of the North? Certainly 
they can demand some recognition.” 

“We give them the credit due them; we recognize them; 
but we demand fair play and justice. History is being per¬ 
verted. We are not being accorded our proper place. The 
war changed our nation from a Federal Republic to a cen- 


Discussing a Sermon 


121 


tralized National Republic. But many ill things and false¬ 
hoods are being spoken of the South.” 

“Some of your own sons make fierce charges against you. 
How can you blame those of the North? ” 

“Our sons, who are so untrue, have been perverted by 
tales of the ingenuity and inventive skill of the North. They 
have joined Europe and the North in denouncing us, and 
cast shafts of unsympathetic criticism at the civilization 
and ideals of our fathers. Yet if the call ever comes, in 
proportion to the population, a much greater percentage 
of our young men will volunteer to uphold the hands of our 
government in its crisis than those of any other section of 
the nation. If we are to become American, history must first 
become American. Science, Literature, Invention, and Art 
must become American, and not biased by writers of any 
section.” 

“Then produce historians, scientists, and artists who will 
see that justice is done. Let them be as fair as you please; 
I do not believe that the whole world can be wrong.” 

“You cannot blame the world; it knows no better. Our 
history has not been written. The Southerner has shame¬ 
fully neglected to preserve his records; but their deeds stand 
as a monument, and others have been given the credit of 
their achievements. The history of the South that has been 
written is the work of enemies, and those who have never 
understood the South. Other conquering nations have forced 
their systems down the throats of the conquered; but we are 
of the same blood and stock. Such practices are abominable. 
Let us become American fairly or not at all.” 

These were harsh charges, but the guest was in the 
Colonel’s house, and he would not offend. Therefore he 
said, “What have you done to clear your name of these 
charges ? ” 

“We have done nothing, or very little. Our fathers were 
too busy building a new nation, and we are too busy recon- 


122 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


structing the economic and political institutions of the South 
that we cannot criticise these charges. But the South will 
become the most prosperous part of our nation, if we do not 
allow this wealth to kill our spirit and religion, as it is doing 
in the North. We are broad enough to be Americans, and 
at the same time retain our spirit and culture.” 

“I cannot agree with you. I believe our historians are ac¬ 
curate. Americans would submit to nothing else.” 

“They are submitting to something else at this very mo¬ 
ment. And they will continue to submit until the rising 
generation of the south sees that its history is truely written. 
If we do less, shame and infamy will rest upon our children. 

“Don’t misunderstand me, Colonel,” Mr. Irvin continued. 
“The time of hatred is past. We do not desire to keep alive 
sectional bitterness; rather we would bring about mutual 
understanding and sympathy, but we are not being met half 
way by writers of the North. We would pay honor to men 
and women who are branded as traitors; we would establish 
that respect and justice, without which there can be no per¬ 
fect union and peace.” 

“Would you take the honor from the loyal, and place it 
upon the seceders, who cared not for the peace of the 
nation ? ” 

“Again you are wrong. We would take honors from no 
one; we would only establish honors where they belong to be. 
We may have seceded, but not to break the peace of the na¬ 
tion. We did it for principle, just as the Revolutionists did 
it. If they had failed, not an American would have called 
them traitors. Remember both 1776 and 1812. Washington 
had very little encouragement from New England, and in 
1812 that section planned secession; not for principle, but 
for commercial gain. The South was the backbone of both 
wars. Separation from England was born in Virginia; so 
was Representative Assembly. The English were defied for 
the first time there. Your New Englander considers his 


Discussing a Sermon 


123 


pocket-book first, then his country. To us liberty stands 
above all. To that we stand ready to surrender all. His¬ 
tory proves it.” 

“Certainly we are first in science and invention; you have 
not produced such men as Whitney and Fulton, for ex¬ 
ample.” 

“The whole truth ought to be told. Whitney was not the 
first inventor of the cotton gin. Joseph Watkins, of Georgia, 
invented and patented a gin one year before Whitney’s in¬ 
vention. Fulton did not invent the first steamboat. James 
Ramsey, of Maryland, ran the world’s first steamboat on the 
Potomac River, and Fulton improved on Ramsey’s model. 
Neither did Howe invent the first sewing machine. Gould- 
ing of Georgia, had invented one which his wife used several 
years before Howe heard of it. The first passenger railroad 
was operated in South Carolina; McCormick, the inventor 
of the reaper, was born in Virginia; the first steamboat to 
cross the Atlantic started from Savannah; Audubon was 
born in Louisiana; Crawford Long was from Georgia; Mat¬ 
thew Maury, honored, knighted, and given medals by several 
of the rulers of Europe, because he was true to Virginia, had 
his name removed from his famous charts of the world.” 

He paused after this long list for want of breath. Colonel 
Riddle remarked, “It seems strange that a people, who have 
produced such men, have not had a single man who could 
be depended upon to write their history. The North has 
never lacked for literary men of merit.” 

“We may mention Edgar Allen Poe, of Maryland; Lanier 
of Georgia, and others. Poe is the master of the short 
story, but it is only recently that he has been acknowledged. 
Whistler, the famous painter, was from North Carolina; 
Simms, the novelist, who ranks with Cooper, was from South 
Carolina. We may mention Paul Hayne, John Thompson, 
James Hope, Thomas Page, and many others. According 
to the proportion of population we have produced more 


124 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


literary men than the rest of the whole country. But among 
those who are mentioned in our schools to-day, we do not 
find these names.” 

“Mr. Lowell says, that the Confederate women wore orna¬ 
ments made from the bones of unburied foes, and the men 
contributed to civilization the arts of carrying bowie knives, 
and chewing tobacco.” The Colonel smiled as he said this. 

“I hope no man believes such prattle. The tests of a civili¬ 
zation are the productions of great men and the power to 
make people happy. In these tests the South stands supreme. 
It has produced the great majority of America’s foremost 
men, because there are few cities, and few foreigners, with 
the degenerated customs and depraved ideas, which they 
bring from Europe, and which the Americans adopt instead 
of changing by education. We have few mines and factories 
which destroy the souls and bodies of men and women, by 
working them day and night, seven days a week. The peo¬ 
ple live in the country, with plenty of food, outdoor work, 
and recreation. They are physically perfect, fine marks¬ 
men, the best riders. They live long, enjoy good health, and 
the spirit of the race has time to develop. Their environment 
makes them commanders, with a sense of responsibility 
found in the noble and chivalrous.” 

“Henry Lodge has written, that the Southern woman had 
few advantages, were unequal to refined conversation, 
showed want of taste and elegance, and seldom appeared with 
grace.” 

“It’s a lie, Cunnel,” shouted Mr. Irvin, almost losing his 
temper, for the Southerner may safely be insulted per¬ 
sonally, but he will hear no falsehoods or insults concerning 
the women, without showing the fire of the fighting Cavalier. 
“It’s like all the rest of the statements. Nowhere else in the 
world can the grace and charm of our wives and daughters 
be duplicated, although you have four very beautiful and 
charming daughters. Nowhere else has hospitality developed 


Discussing a Sermon 


125 


to such an art as here in the South. Nowhere else can you 
find the mother tongue spoken with such refinement, with 
such soft, clear tones, or beautiful accent, than by our women 
folks; but we have talked long, and I must be going/’ 

He arose, and thanked his host for his hospitality. “I 
hope your patience has not been tried, Cunnel,” he said. 

“Not at all,” the Colonel replied, “I have rather enjoyed it. 
America is proud of the Southerner, and should be, I be¬ 
lieve.” 

“Then let the whole truth be known. Good-bye, friend.” 

“Good-bye, neighbor; good-bye, Miss Nan; we are neigh¬ 
bors now. Come over whenever you can; you will find the 
latch string out to you at any time.” 

In this manner the two friends, the Yankee and the Rebel, 
live side by side in the South, fighting their own battles, 
conquering their own foes, until we have become an united 
people. 

While these two men were talking, James and his mother 
were speaking with the Riddle girls about other things. But 
James heard a great deal of the conversation between the 
men. Sometimes Mr. McMaster added a remark; but not 
very often. And this conversation impressed James very 
much. He had not believed it possible that he had not heard 
any of this before. There are many others, who have been 
as greatly impressed and surprised, when they have heard it 
for the first time. 

As the father and daughter took their departure, James 
and his mother arose to leave. The Colonel apologized for 
his seeming neglect; but remarked that Mr. Irvin seemed 
to be so full of his subject that he found it a difficult matter 
to change the course of the conversation. James told him 
that he had heard much of the remarks, and that he had en¬ 
joyed it. Already proud of his ancestry, his name and his 
South, he determined to become one of his generation who 
would strive to place his people in a more favorable light be- 


126 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


fore the world. He had desired to hear all that the older 
men had said, but that had been impossible. Politeness de¬ 
manded that he enter the general conversation of the others. 
They had many questions to ask him concerning his work, 
which he gladly answered. As they started for home Jane 
Riddle came to him. 

“We are always glad to see you. I am especially inter¬ 
ested in your work. Please come as often as you are in town,” 
she said. 

This he did for three years. It became his custom to spend 
a portion of each Sunday at the Riddle home. The curious 
wondered whether it was Jane or her father that he called to 
see every week. They devised schemes to get Aunt Cora to 
talk, but she was adamant; gossip made a match between 
him and Jane; even the sisters soon believed that their rela¬ 
tions were ripening into more than friendship. But Jane 
knew better. 

“You are the only sister I have ever had,” he had said to 
her one evening as he left. “I bring all my troubles to you, 
because you are so interested, and you can sympathize. 4 
Mother doesn’t understand all these things; she is especially 
bitter toward Nellie for treating me as she has.” 

“I try to be a friend to all who enjoy my friendship, 
James,” she had answered, “Things will be all right yet! 
‘Every cloud has a silver lining.’ ” 

Many times after this he called her his sister, and their 
relations were never closer than that of brother and sister. 

A few weeks after this the day came that the waters of the 
Pocomoke were to be turned into the canal. It had at last 
been completed, but there were many divergent opinions 
concerning this water. The event brought people who lived 
many miles away. It was reported that the water would not 
stop at Klej Grange, but would overflow and cut a new 
channel to the Sinepuxent Bay. The people at Pocomoke 
City believed that the river would change its course depriv- 


Discussing a Sermon 


12 7 


ing them of its benefit. Some even charged that it was a 
scheme of Colonel Riddle to check the growth of their city. 
The people of the Forest were there in great numbers. The 
girls, especially, could be distinguished by a small pocket over 
the breast, from which they often supplied themselves and 
friends with pinches of snuff. It is impossible for a man 
to know when he is in this forest of Nassawadox, for as 
often as he asks where it is, his informant will say, “About 
three miles ahead.” They won’t admit that they live in the 
forest. 

It was one of these Foresters who caused the one unfortu¬ 
nate incident of the day. This man, whose name was Rowan, 
could be distinguished by being half drunk, and by having 
his shoes blackened, not polished, with the soot from the bot¬ 
tom of an iron pot. The heels, however, like the rest of the 
Forest shoes, had not been touched, as if his arms were not 
long enough to reach back far enough. Tobacco juice was 
running down, in a slow stream, from each corner of his 
mouth, and he rode a long-legged, sorrel horse, that looked 
like it had been fed on nothing but pine slats for several 
months. He rode up to the post office, alighted, and tied, or 
propped his horse against the hitching post, for the horse 
seemed to lean his whole weight against it, while its master, 
with the rest of the loiterers, awaited the arrival of the mail. 

There were more people awaiting the mail carrier than 
usual, for this was the day on which all the old soldiers re¬ 
ceived their government checks. As soon as they had re¬ 
ceived their checks they took them to the Company’s store, 
where they had them cashed. About this time Rowan came 
in with two pistols leveled at the former soldiers. He forced 
them to place all of their money in a pile on an upturned 
barrel, then placed it in his own pockets with one hand, 
while he still covered the men with a pistol. When he had 
done this he marched them out of the store, and got upon 
his horse. 


128 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


Just as he marched the men out of the store the news 
of the hold-up reached the assembled crowd at the canal, who 
were waiting to see if the slowly flowing water would over¬ 
flow the banks of the big ditch. It caused a stampede across 
the narrow bridge, on which several of the factory officials 
were standing. One of the men, who was fleeing from the 
robber, had partaken heavily of the hospitality of J. Barley¬ 
corn, and could not control his horse. As he rode furiously 
toward Colonel Riddle and the group on the bridge, he 
shouted, “You old fool! I’ll run you into your doggone 
ditch. You ain’t satisfied to let the river alone.” 

James Purnell caught the bridle of the horse, in order to 
keep him from running several men into the water. As the 
horse reared, it swerved to one side to save itself from 
going into the canal, but threw James directly in front. 
Another leap in its efforts to escape the blows of the in¬ 
censed rider, and the horse would have been upon him. 
Quickly realizing this danger, James chose the safer course, 
and rolled from the bridge into the water. 

James returned to his room as soon as possible, where he 
changed his clothing, but the weather was bitter that day, 
and he contracted a severe case of pneumonia. This may 
not have happened, if he had not gone to Snow Hill that 
evening. Early the next morning he was awakened by a 
severe pain in his side. He called his mother, who immedi¬ 
ately guessed what the trouble was, and placed a mustard 
plaster over the spot. But James became feverish toward 
the middle of the forenoon; he muttered in uneasy dreams, 
as he lay back in an old arm-chair. His mother, with the 
help of Mrs. Gordy, put him to bed, then went for the doctor. 

When Dr. Parsons arrived he diagnosed the case as double 
pneumonia, but said to Mrs. Purnell, “Although James is 
very sick, you have no cause to worry. He has always been 
healthy, and has lived a clean life. But you will need some¬ 
one to help you, for he must be cared for day and night.” 


Discussing a Sermon 


129 


“Mrs. Gordy will help me, and I am sure that Mrs. Ward 
will stop in sometimes. Mrs. Gordy has her children to care 
for and the work to do, so I will stop at Mrs. Ward’s as I 
return, and will see her myself.” 

“Do not allow her to use any of her famous cures,” the 
Doctor cautioned. 

Mrs. Purnell sat by her son during that long night, giving 
the big doses that the physician had prescribed, while she 
watched James grow worse. Toward morning he seemed to 
suffer less, for he became quiet and seemed to sleep. Dur¬ 
ing this sleep the “Old Reliable” of the town came to aid 
“her boy” in getting better. 


CHAPTER XI 


MRS. WARD IS CONSULTED 

There is a habit of righteousness to be found in each of 
us, all it needs is someone to call it into being. Every human 
being has a power within—a magnet—with which the best or 
worst of others is drawn to the surface where it can be seen. 
One man lives in a cold, selfish world located in the same 
town where another finds friendship, brotherly love, good 
deeds to do, and unselfishness. We must look for our own 
happiness, but we must look for the happiness of others; 
we must look for that which will make us useful even at the 
cost of our happiness at times. The happiest kind of lives 
have frequently been found among the unselfish. The 
natural tendency of our lives should not be to keep as far 
away from those we do not like as we can. We may not 
hate them, but we do not like their action, their speech, their 
manner, their looks. Their personalities seem to have a bad 
effect on us, but our temperaments and dispositions should 
not be governed by our likes and dislikes. We are not in 
the world to please ourselves, or a small circle of friends, 
whom we especially enjoy. Some of the finest friends are 
those who appeared very unattractive at first. They prove to 
have a noble nature behind a homely face. If we give faith 
to others, the faith which they repose in us will work within 
us a nobility of character that will become a greater monu¬ 
ment than can possibly be erected to us in any other manner. 

Mrs. Ward was a character who repelled at first meeting, 
but when she had become a friend there was no way to 
break that friendship. No one ever desired a way, either. 
If any misunderstanding arose, she always went to the 


Mrs. Ward is Consulted 


131 


offended party and discovered the cause. In every case the 
disagreeable experiences arose over trifles, that were soon 
explained, and she was a better friend than ever. She was 
present at all places where she might be needed. She was at 
weddings, births, and deaths with the same usefulness. She 
loved to be the first to hear a piece of gossip, but she could 
be trusted never to betray the most exciting secret. Small 
of stature, slender with past, present, and future ailments at 
all times, and by the dozens, which often sent her to bed, she 
was always ready to make the sick think that there was 
nothing like suffering to bring happiness. Some of the 
secrets, with which she was instrusted, were so hard to keep 
that she often went to bed with a dreadful headache. At 
such times she would send for some boy of the neighborhood, 
who would be despatched for her “cures.” In fact, her only 
known fault was her many cures and her faith in supersti¬ 
tions. She claimed that a frog, split open and placed across 
the forehead, would always cure headache. But she believed 
that, if you killed a frog, your mother would die. However, 
she never hesitated to send a boy for a frog whenever she 
had one of her “splitting” headaches. Her one determination 
was, that wherever she happened to be, each guest or person 
present, should have a good time, if it lay in her power to 
cause it. She had told the same stories dozens of times, and 
on all occasions, yet each reproduction brought laughter from 
all. One could tell that she was coming down the street 
long before she could be seen, for she talked with a loud, 
shrill, squeak that was recognized for long distances. When 
a guest, who feared that he might be the first to arrive at a 
function, approached the house where he was to be enter¬ 
tained, he soon had his fears quieted by waiting a few mo¬ 
ments outside. If he was not first he soon heard the well- 
known voice in laughter or conversation. Very seldom did 
she allow anyone else to finish a story. She was sure to 
break in somewhere with, “No, it was this way.” Whenever 


132 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


her mother began to tell a story at their home, she never 
failed to interrupt with, “Now Ma-a, Ma-a, it was this way. 
“Then she would finish in her way. She was a friend to 
everyone; she was liked by those of all ages, and whether 
her guests, or fellow-guests were old or young—for she 
entertained, and was entertained by, those of all ages—she 
was the life of the group. No one took her seriously, yet 
no one laughed at her; and even in rooms where the very 
sick lay, she knew what to talk about, and did it in a way 
that caused the invalid to smile in the midst of pain, to take 
new courage, and a new hold on life. Thus she was in 
great demand in that day when trained nurses were very 
scarce. 

As she approached the home of James the next morning, 
Mrs. Purnell was standing on the porch with troubled face. 

“Now Miss Mamie,” Mrs. Ward shouted from the street, 
“Job had right smart of troubles in his time, and set in 
sack-cloth and ashes, but you got no cause to mourn like 
him. You don’t belong to look like he did. I’ll take care 
of that boy of yourn, and you can get some sleep. You 
jest go to your bed and tell me what to do, and what not 
to do with his medicine. No, you better tell me first, then 
go to bed. I reckon I can manage the rest. You don’t have 
no cause to worry; for I listened for the dog to howl last 
night, and for the rooster to crow after sundown, which 
both mean death; but I heard neither one. Then coming here 
this morning I watched for a black cat to cross the street 
in front of me, which would have caused me to turn back 
for today, but I am here because I have been lucky.” 

In this manner she talked continuously until Mrs. Purnell 
was in her bed, trying to get some rest, under adverse cir¬ 
cumstances, for her tired body and aching nerves. 

When Mrs. Ward entered James’ room she said, very 
quietly: “Boy, what have you been up to, anyway? Now 
you got no call to be in the water this weather. If a pretty 


Mrs. Ward is Consulted 


133 


girl, or an ugly one for that matter, had needed to be res¬ 
cued, you would’ve had a excuse, but you don’t belong in 
a canal when there’s no one to save.” 

“I tried to save myself, but I seem to have jumped out 
of the frying pan into the fire this time,” answered the 
sick man. 

“Whatever you did or did not do, you certainly jumped 
out of health into pneumonia this time.” 

“That’s what Dr. Parsons says. Now Mrs. Ward, you are 
just the person that I want to see. You know all the secrets 
of this town; tell me something about Nellie. When is she 
going to be married ? ” 

“It do beat the deuce how men carry on. You are still 
worrying about that nincompoop, and she has throwed her¬ 
self at another. They are saying as how they will not be 
married, for she don’t like how he carries on with other 
girls. But her dad is proud as Lucifer, and he said that 
she’s bound to marry him, because she promised. Besides, 
he thinks it bad luck to break more than one engagement.” 

“What is a promise where there is no love? She be¬ 
longs to me by rights, and I love her as you know.” 

“I know it, honey, but you jest forget to worry about her 
for a few days, or I’ll be calling her more names in your 
own house.” 

“It’s only your way, Miss Anne.” The young people 
called her Miss Anne. “Your heart is right, if your tongue 
is not right, sometimes.” 

“Yes and I know a sure way to tell you who you will 
marry. If you stop worrying I will tell you, when you are 
able to try it.” 

“Tell me how it is done.” 

“Well, if you write some girls’ names on a slip of paper 
under your own, then draw a circle around them with blood 
you get from pricking the third finger on the left hand with 
a needle, then bury it; before nine that night you will see 


134 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


the girl you are going to marry. If you happen to have a 
sprig of mistletoe over the door that night, she will be the 
first girl to pass under it. ,, 

“Let’s do it, Miss Anne, anything to help forget this pain 
in my side. There is a piece of mistletoe hanging in the 
parlor over the mantel.” 

“Honey, I wished I hadn’t said anything. If your mother 
knows it she won’t like it.” 

“I’ll fix it with her; let’s have some fun. I want to see 
if you know anything.” 

“Now you hush, boy, you belong to be quiet, or the doctor 
will find you with a fever, then he will blame me.” Never¬ 
theless, she went to the parlor, and got the mistletoe. “It 
will do him no harm,” she mumbled to herself, as she 
climbed the stairs. “Now if you don’t keep quiet I will tell 
the doctor the reason, if you have a fever when he comes,” 
she said as she entered the room. 

After hanging the mistletoe over the door, she wrote 
several names of girls that he mentioned. The last name she 
added was Jane Riddle, but he had not named her. She 
then lightly pricked the end of the finger mentioned, and 
with the blood drew a line around the names. But it was 
then about ten o’clock, therefore, she did not bury the paper 
until the next morning. She went down stairs, however, in 
order to get away from James, who was too inclined to talk, 
but when she returned she found the patient in a troubled 
sleep. 

In the morning the physician found the condition of his 
patient according to Mrs. Ward’s prophecy. He looked 
grave immediately. 

“He is not doing as well as I expected, Miss Anne; he 
must have absolutely no excitement. I will return within a 
short time. In the meantime keep him quiet, and endeavor 
to keep his mother out of the room.” 

“All right, Dr. Will, I’ll try; but men are set critters in 


Mrs . Ward is Consulted 


135 


their minds. If you stop them from worrying outwards, 
they will worry inwards, and that is the hardest kind of 
worry.” 

Not long after this James became delirious. He began 
to talk of Nellie, of being in jail, of being called a thief; 
but the greater portion of his ravings was about Nellie. 

About eleven o’clock Aunt Cora came from the Irvin’s 
with some broth, and “Miss Nan’s conferments.” She 
heard Mrs. Ward’s report, which was not at all alarming, 
then rushed back to her mistress. 

“De young ge’mman am berry bad, Miss Nan, berry bad 
indeed. Miss Ward say as how he goin’ for to die. He out 
of he hade, she say, for he had permonium on bof sides of 
he hade.” 

Jane Riddle was with Nan when this report was made. 
Both girls smiled at the account, but in a moment were 
very grave. 

“I am going to see him, Nan,” announced Jane. 

Such a move had very few precedents in the South. 
Young people were very careful in those days. Nan thought 
Northern girls might be in the habit of doing such things. 
She could see no harm in it, yet convention had ruled differ¬ 
ently, and in spite of our freedom we are shackled tight by 
conventions. She said nothing, however, and Jane departed. 

She arrived a few minutes before nine, and found that 
James still had a high fever. Mrs. Purnell was ready to 
meet her, but hesitated to take the girl in the sick room. 
Yet, as Mrs. Ward explained, he was delirious, and would 
not know her, she took her to the side of his bed. James 
was speaking of Nellie. It was Nellie whom he had saved 
from the water; it was Nellie whom he had saved at the 
canal; Walter Whaley had betrayed him, and had falsely 
accused him. Now he would marry her, and James would 
lose his old friend and school mate. Jane listened to this for 
some time, then she thought, “Not a word, not one mention 


136 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


of me/’ She pulled her chair closer to the bed, and placed 
her cool white hand upon his hot, feverish head. She would 
have hesitated to do this if he had mentioned her in the 
manner that he had mentioned the other girl. It was very 
awkwardly done, her hand trembled, yet it seemed to quiet 
the sufferer. 

“Nellie,” he said, “you have come to me, you told me that 
you would always be my friend. Now you are here.” 

“No, James. It is I, Jane,” she answered. 

He mumbled several incoherent phrases, then seemed to 
doze for some time, and Jane returned home. 

For several days James lay very ill, almost at the point 
of death; but either his constitution, or his determination to 
live, won the struggle with disease. In about three weeks he 
was sitting up with the aid of pillows. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE CONVALESCENT 

During his convalescence he sat at the window over¬ 
looking Market Street. The air was so calm that you could 
hear sounds distinctly for some distance. Presently he heard 
the beat of horses’ feet on the hard road. Soon he was able 
to see three riders pass the house. As they did so he recog¬ 
nized that they were Hancock, the mechanic; Dollie Lindsay, 
the daughter of Benjamin Lindsay; and Whaley. The girl 
was riding between the two men. Their light laughter and 
remarks reached him through the window. 

“You can’t kill him,” said Hancock, “He’s a saint, and 
saints never die. Remember Elijah? ” 

“You better watch out, or the bears’ll get you. They got 
the boys, you know,” the Lindsay girl carelessly answered. 
Then they were gone. 

They referred to the nursery story of the prophet Elijah 
and the bears. As Elijah was walking by the walls of the 
city several boys rushed after him shouting. He was old and 
feeble and gray. 

“Go up! Go up! you old bald head,” they shouted. 

Then the chariot of fire came from the clouds and the 
faithful old servant was received up out of their midst. 

When he had disappeared bears came from the bushes 
nearby, and leaped upon the boys, who were torn and 
devoured because they did not respect age and gray hairs. 

James thought to himself, “It has been several months 
since I heard of Nellie’s announcement, yet they are not 
married. A nice husband he will make for any girl. No 
wonder people are talking. Some of the reports must be 


138 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


true.” He took courage at that. Perhaps they would not 
marry after all. Then Jane’s words—almost a prophecy— 
came to him. 

When he was recovered, and able to travel he returned to 
the factory. His part of the work was completed, and 
Captain Howard’s sailboat stood at the landing, loaded with 
cotton for the mill. He decided to ride along the canal to see 
how the embankments were standing the heavy rains. As 
he returned he took the short cut through the woods. The soil 
was very soft because of the rainy weather, thus making it 
possible for the horse to travel without making the least 
noise. 

Suddenly he heard voices in front of him. Should he go 
on or return? He decided that there was no reason for him 
to return. Then it was too late, for he had been seen. 

As he rounded a curve he saw two horses standing close 
together. Two people jumped apart at the same moment, 
but he had seen enough. Walter Whaley and Dollie Lindsay 
had been standing together, their arms around each other, 
with her head upon his shoulder. 

“You spy,” roared Whaley, “why are you watching us? 
You mind your own business, or I’ll make it hot for you.” 

James rode up to him as he answered, “You are wrong, 
Whaley; I never dreamed of spying. I have been along the 
canal to the river; but decided to return this way. I have 
no desire whatever to spy upon you.” 

He rode on, leaving the couple standing there. Some few 
minutes after he reached the factory they rode by on their 
way to her home at Stockton. 

As he watched them he wondered just what Walter meant. 
James was not a saint; few young men are; yet he always 
found more reasons for doing as he ought than for doing as 
he wished. “Ought carries its own force of unanswerable 
reasons.” To James, with his Puritan training and Anglo- 
Saxon ideals, they were sufficient. He could not brook 


The Convalescent 


139 


duplicity in anyone, but, like many others, he was at a 
loss for remedies when it appeared in others. “Ought” 
was his medicine. Therefore the appearance of Walter 
and his angry charge brought back to James the reports of 
gossip, which he had been hearing. Now that the truth was 
before him he was helpless, no matter how much he desired 
to use it for his own advantage. 

Meddlers are never welcome, yet in the form of a former 
lover a meddler is often despised. But if a man is placed as 
James was he has a most persistent temptation to become a 
meddler. But the poor lover must stand back merely as a 
looker-on, and see the object of his affections won by the 
unscrupulous without a word or murmur on his part. Noth¬ 
ing that he can do or say would be convincing; he would be 
accused of being jealous, and no credit for truth would be 
attributed to him. A meddler is likely to be bitten and 
scratched, and he ought to know it. If he then persists in 
interfering he must abide the consequences. Meddling is 
very dangerous business, especially in love affairs. James 
decided that he would not meddle unless a very favorable 
opportunity presented itself. 

On a Saturday afternoon a few weeks later that opportun¬ 
ity came. The Negroes of the community were having their 
“Darkey Camp Meetin* ” as they termed it, in the woods 
near the settlement called by them “Chinchtown.” This set¬ 
tlement is beside the state road which leads from Snow Hill 
to Pocomoke city, and it extends back to the River. Here they 
have been meeting every year for an indefinite period of 
time, in order to renew their religious zeal and old acquaint¬ 
ances. In many cases the acquaintances are renewed by 
pistols and razors, yet these meetings prove a stabilizing 
influence in their daily religious experiences. One old woman 
was asked why she went to the meetings so often. Her 
answer was that she went in order “To be filled wid de Holy 
Ghos’.” Of course this answer is not expected to apply to 


140 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


those who return filled with lead or covered with razor 
slashes. This same old Auntie said of these, ‘ Satan am a 
devourin’ lion, seekin’ who he may catch, and he cotched ’em, 
sho’ ’nuf.” 

The Negroes were not the only ones present at these 
meetings. The white people attended in great numbers. They 
liked to see the antics of the black sinners, who were not as 
sinful as they, in many instances. Some of them came to 
hear the singing; others came for mere curiosity and to 
laugh at the sincerity of these deeply religious worshipers. 

No one can fully appreciate the Negro melodies sung at 
such times, unless he had heard them, himself. It is true that 
they are sung for every occasion, yet they have the same droll 
sing-song form, heightened and exaggerated as they grow 
emotional at the religious meeting. The women first sing 
the line, then are joined by the men, either at the beginning 
or anywhere along the line, thus prolonging it for some time. 
The women are finishing a line as the men begin. In this 
way it passes from one portion of the singers to the others in 
a continuous chant, sometimes for hours, accompanied by 
shouts interspersed here and there, moanings, clappings of 
hands, dancing, hugging and kissing, handshaking, and many 
other movements. It seems that the movements used in the 
different occupations of the worshipers are repeated at these 
times. One man will be going through the movement of 
wood cutting; another will be making barrels; a woman will 
be washing imaginary clothes, or ironing them; while others 
rock from side to side in that peculiar movement used by this 
race, while holding a sleeping baby in their arms. 

While these people were singing one of their favorite 
songs a group of young people arrived from Snow Hill, and 
stopped at the entrance while the singing continued. As 
near as this song can be put in written form as it sounds 
while being sung, it is: 


The Convalescent 


141 


“Heaven, Heaven, everybody talkin’ ’bout Heaven, I’m goin’ 
dare; 

Goin’ ta shout all ovah Gord’s Heaven, 
ta shout all ovah Gord’s Heaven, 
all ovah Gord’s Heaven, 

Gord’s Heaven, 

Heaven, 

Heaven, everybody talkin’ ’bout Heaven, I’m goin’ dare,” 
until they have gone over it almost a countless number of 
times. Of course, these thoughtless young people, like many 
others, joked about the singing, and even laughed audibly 
several times, until they saw Uncle Israel Crippen coming 
toward them, limping as he came. He had been sent by one 
of the camp leaders to stop this irreverence on the part of 
these thoughtless visitors. He had a basket upon his arm, 
filled with sandwiches, which he sold to the campers, who 
could not maintain their happiness very long without refresh¬ 
ments. However, this basket did not deter its carrier from 
administering a gentle rebuke. 

“Yo’ all mus’n’t laugh; service is goin’ on,” he said, in a 
half whisper. 

One of the young ladies said to him, “Well, Uncle, are 
you making any money from your lunches? ” 

“Not much, Miss, not much,” he answered, “but ah would 
make consid’able ef ah didn’t haf ta give so much change.” 

“Why are you limping, Uncle ? ” another asked. 

“Fo’ some time now I’s had somethin’ like the as’ma in ma 
feet,” he replied. 

At this point the singing stopped. Two Negro preachers 
stepped upon the platform, holding up their hands for 
silence. These men were named Bantam and Pullet, but no 
one dared to laugh at such a coincidence, until they were out 
of the danger zone; for these preachers, who knew that they 
were on their own ground, did not hesitate to preach to the 


142 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


whites who were present, as well as to their own people. One 
of them made a few remarks, then sat down while every 
person was expected to come forward with his contribution. 
No baskets or hats were passed, they raised more funds in 
this way than they could have been gotten by passing the 
plate. When a worshiper was somewhat delinquent the 
preacher would call him by name, and he would walk to the 
front with his mite. 

While this offering was being taken James Purnell, who 
was among the group standing by the entrance, asked Uncle 
Israel how he liked the preachers. 

The old man answered, “Brothah Pullet is a good man, 
but he ain’t no talker. He preaches de same thing ovah an’ 
ovah. But we all like Brothah Bantam, because he preaches on 
a new tex’ every time. He knows how to staht, an’ he 
knows a right smaht o’ words, an’ jes’ as soon’s he gits ’em 
in de propah ordah he’ll hab a mighty fine sermon.” 

That preacher represents a large group of speakers and 
writers, who are proud of their words, who think that by 
pouring forth these words, adorned with fine gestures, they 
are making great impressions; but they forget that the most 
of us need to speak less, and by thinking more carefully, we 
will be able to say more. 

When the collection had been taken another song was 
announced. 

“Roll, Jerdon, roll! 

Roll, Jerdon, roll! 

I wanta go to Heaven when I die, 

Fer ter see sweet Jerdon roll. 

“Oh! pray, my bruddah, pray, 

Yas, my Lord! 

My bruddah am a sittin’ in de kingdom, 

Fer ter see sweet Jerdon roll. 


The Convalescent 


143 


“Roll, Jerdon, roll! 

Roll, Jerdon, roll! 

I wanta go to Heaven when I die, 

Fer ter see sweet Jerdon roll. 

“Oh! look, Sistah look! 

Yas, my Lord! 

My sistah am a sittin’ in de kingdom, 

Fer ter see sweet Jerdon roll.” 

While the worshipers were singing this song with great 
fervor and enthusiasm several young Negro men rushed up 
to the group, who were from Snow Hill. They reported 
that a man had been killed down by the river. They wanted 
these white men to go back with them to see what might be 
done with him. All seemed unwilling to return with the 
messengers except Howard Irvin and James Purnell. 

When these two arrived at the place to which they had 
been guided they found a white man lying on his face, with 
blood flowing from a wound on his head. The Negroes were 
very much frightened, but became more calm when these 
white men came and announced that the man was not dead, 
although unconscious. The two white men carried him to 
the bank of a small creek, washed his head, and examined the 
wound. It proved to be only a flesh wound, yet the flesh 
had been cut through above the temple by some sharp instru¬ 
ment. The cold water seemed to revive the man, who opened 
his eyes and sat up. 

This man was Walter Whaley. He had been selling 
whiskey from a twenty-gallon keg that stood nearby, but the 
person that had struck him had also taken the whiskey that 
remained. Whaley refused to join the rest of the party, 
therefore the two benefactors made arrangements to have 
him returned to his home. The Negroes seemed to know 
nothing about what had happened, but all insisted that they 


144 The Gentleman From Maryland 

had found Whaley there a few minutes before they made 
the report. It is almost useless to ask them for any infor¬ 
mation concerning a member of their race. 

The next day James met Whaley as they were passing the 
Makemie church. To James’ surprise the other took him 
by the arm, and led him into the cemetery, where they sat 
upon a large, flat tablet, covered with moss, that marked the 
grave of Purnell’s great-grandfather, who signed Maryland’s 
Declaration of Independence. While they sat there talking 
of many trivial things, each seemed to read the thoughts of 
the other. James was loath to speak of his; Walter seemed 
to be held in check by some vague power which had never 
influenced him before. 

While they were sitting there Mr. McMaster passed the 
cemetery on his way to the post office. He stopped for a 
few words, probably he was surprised to see them together 
in such a place, then passed on his way. But the words 
that he had spoken seemed to give Walter the opportunity 
for which he waited; the words were about the factory. 

“What are you going to do when the factory closes ? ” 
asked Whaley. 

It was generally known at this time that Colonel Riddle 
had planned to abandon the town of Klej Grange, because 
he found it an unprofitable investment. It required too much 
capital in comparison to the profit that it brought him. For 
this reason the men around Snow Hill, who had joined him, 
because they expected to get rich quickly, had drawn out 
almost to a man, leaving the whole proposition upon the 
shoulders of the Colonel. 

When James heard this question he paused for some time, 
then answered, “I am going into politics.” 

If he had shot Whaley he would not have been more 
surprised. At first he looked speechless, then he seemed to 
look upon the announcement as a joke, for he laughed up¬ 
roariously, and said, “Purnell, you did a good turn for me 


The Convalescent 


145 


yesterday by saving me from those ‘nigged; now I want to 
do one for you. Take my advice, and you will stay out of 
politics; you’re too straight.” 

James now suspected that Whaley himself desired to go 
into the same profession, for the height of glory and am¬ 
bition, to the young men in these rural country seats, is to 
become a politician, or a lawyer. And these suspicions were 
right, for Whaley had already expressed his desire to be 
elected as a delegate to Annapolis that Fall. 

Interpreting this fact in the light shown by Whaley’s last 
answer, James asked, “Too straight, can’t a politician be 
straight ? ” 

“Yes, but a straight man can’t be a politician, at least a 
successful one. You don’t know human nature. Men must 
be controlled if you want their votes, and you oppose the one 
thing that will control them. Why don’t you get married? 
Marry money.” 

James well knew to what two things Walter alluded. If 
he meant that James would have to change his attitude 
concerning prohibition, he made no impression, for James’ 
one desire in entering this field was, to seek a chance to strike 
the liquor traffic of his state a deadening blow. As for the 
other allusion, Mrs. Ward had already told him about the 
report common in everybody’s mouth which linked his name 
with that of Jane Riddle. Yet he did not permit Whaley 
to speak more of it. 

“I may some time,” he coolly answered. “Why don’t you 
get married ? ” 

“Ha, ha, ho, ho! ” laughed Whaley. “I’m too wise; mar¬ 
riage is too risky.” 

“Have you ever told Nellie Bratten that it is?” 

“No, she’s nothing but a child. Pretty and attractive, but 
still in the baby period. I don’t expect to tie myself to 
anyone in the cradle stage of their existence. I’m going to 
have my fun for a few years.” 


146 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


His meaning of “fun” was not very enlightening, and 
James tried to hold his anger in check, but he could not 
resist saying, “I think, then, that you have treated her as you 
would not treat a common cur.” 

But for some reason, Whaley did not take offense. He 
seemed to be magnanimous that day, at least, and merely 
answered, as he smiled, “Purnell, you are fit for a preacher. 
You are more like Mr. McMaster than any boy in this burg. 
He don’t believe that a young man ought to do anything but 
read the Bible, and keep the commandments. Much morals 
doth make thee sad. Do you see that caterpillar trying to 
get out of that jar? ” 

He pointed to a nearby grave, on which a glass jar had 
been placed. The flowers had withered, and dropped out, 
but a large yellow caterpillar was crawling around the inside 
in an endeavor to find a way out. It was a pitiful and 
impressive sight to see it reach almost the top, then fall back 
to the bottom again and again. 

“Your life is like that,” continued Whaley, “you are bound 
by the Ten Commandments, and fear of ridicule by men. I 
fear neither man nor the devil, for I am on the outside of the 
jar. All the world is mine, and all that’s in it, if I can get 
it. While you are consulting your Commandments, I am 
taking my fill of pleasure, allowing no opportunities to escape 
me, and I believe my life is the more popular one.” 

“Is that all you find to life? Don’t you think you owe the 
community something morally?” asked James. 

“Nothing whatever. The good man is talked about before 
he dies. A saint could not please the people of this town. 
You can’t do it; neither can Mr. McMaster. When we’re 
dead and gone, they will say good about us all, I reckoln. 
But they will forget us; even the very places where we lie. 
Do you reckon that all these sunken graves are graves of 
wicked men, and all these well-kept graves are graves of 


The Convalescent 


147 


the good? Have a good time, and you will be thought just 
as much of.” 

“You have spoken of marriage; is such a condition fair 
to the girl ? ” 

“As to the women, I don’t worry; they don’t seem to 
object. In fact, the girls always seem to favor the free 
lance. Even in school, the boy who would take a kiss when 
the teacher was out, seemed to be the hero in the eyes of the 
girls. They didn’t take very kindly to the fellow who stood 
on ceremony, or convention. And they have never changed. 
The man who has the reputation of taking what he wants 
seems to hold the greatest attraction for them.” 

Whaley was right to a certain extent. No matter how 
wild a man may be, he seems to appear, to the younger girls 
especially, as a man to be desired; a man who knows the 
world, and can tell them many things. It is not at all unusual 
for a girl to deliberately choose such a one, rather than one 
who is held as a model youth, who might almost worship her 
if given the opportunity. 

James had noticed this, yet, like many other men, he did 
not like to acknowledge it. He asked Whaley, “What kind 
of a life would you demand of your wife?” 

“Oh, when I decide to settle down I expect to marry a 
good woman.” 

“Do you mean that you demand of a girl what you will 
not be able to offer her ? ” 

“That’s her lookout, and I don’t have any trouble finding 
good ones who don’t object.” 

“Then you deliberately make bad ones of them. Such men 
as you are not fit to live.” 

“Hold on, Purnell, hold on! This marriage business is a 
great game. When you think you have a good chance to win 
you find your opponent holds a better hand. If a man opens 
a business, and finds it a failure, he quits, and tries something 
else. But your Commandments and your conventions make 


148 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


no room for failure in marriage. We must marry without 
investigation, and once we sign the contract we can’t 
change. I prefer to see life ’till I am older, then if I fail 
in marriage, I will at least have the memories of stolen 
fruits.” 

“Your code will ruin our nation; I want none of it,” 
said James, as he rose and walked away. 

Whaley sat there as he left, but called after him, “Purnell, 
I don’t mind telling you that Nellie Bratton has handed me 
the mitten.” 

James said nothing in answer, for his desires choked the 
words that arose to his tongue. He had listened while his 
former friend and rival had confessed, and had expressed 
that most damnable of practices; that code of life advocated 
by libertines; and other enemies of the sanctity of woman¬ 
hood and the marriage vow; that practice of morals which is 
contributing, more than any other cause, to the downfall of 
the human race. It destroyed Greece and Rome; also the old 
Egyptian dynasties. It will destroy America and England, 
the only nations that have not failed, if the Puritan element 
within these nations does not arise in might, and stamp out 
the evil. 

With these thoughts flashing through his mind James 
pursued his way homeward, secretly rejoicing that Whaley’s 
morals, or lack of morals, had succeeded where his pleadings 
had been in vain. They had driven Nellie away from Whaley. 
The future had in store for him a rude awakening from his 
delusion; for Whaley had failed to find in Nellie Bratten 
the woman he desired, therefore he had lost her by seeking 
the company of others. 

In spite of his feelings concerning the unfair treatment 
which he had received from Nellie, this announcement of 
Whaley’s caused him to be somewhat elated over the course 
of affairs. Perhaps, after all, Nellie had considered that he 
was a better man than his rival. Perhaps she now felt that 


The Convalescent 


149 


he was innocent of the charge that had caused her to be 
indifferent toward him. He hoped that it might prove as 
he now thought. 

As he reached the court house he was joined by Mrs. 
Ward, who hailed him with, “Wait, James, I am going to 
your house, but I am afraid that I will step in your foot¬ 
steps.” 

“What difference will that make, Miss Anne? ” 

“Oh, that will sure give me the headache.” 

“Do you really believe all those superstitions ? ” 

“They are not superstitions; they are facts, boy. I’ve 
seen so many of them come true that I must believe them.” 

She walked with him toward his home, talking contin¬ 
uously. “I have jest come from Miss Whaley's; she is very 
sick with shingles. And she worries so much about Walter. 
He ain’t much comfort to her. I gave her a real cure for 
shingles, but she won’t try it. Some people are so head-strong 
that you can’t help them. I told her to rub some blood from 
a black cat’s tail on the sores, and it would cure it, but she 
won’t believe me, so what can I do ? ” 

With that she dismissed the subject, and they passed into 
the house, where there was a good supper awaiting them. 
Mrs. Ward talked of many different things, but James could 
not join the conversation, because his mind was still occupied 
by the statements made by Whaley, concerning the differ¬ 
ences between their views of moral life. 


CHAPTER XIII 


“one man's loss is another’s gain” 

It was some time before Mrs. Ward went home that night, 
for when supper was over she insisted on helping to “clear 
the table” before she went home. Now this was not the 
real reason that induced her to stay; she had seen Walter and 
James in the cemetery, and had determined to learn some¬ 
thing about that meeting. Therefore, when the dishes were 
disposed of, with the frankness characteristic of her nature, 
she asked James why his meeting with Walter had made 
him so “glum.” 

“You’ve been like a clam ever since I come in here,” she 
said. 

“I have heard sad things today,” replied James. 

Mrs. Ward did not insist farther; she allowed everybody 
to use their own discretion after she had once expressed her 
desire to hear anything. She seldom failed, however, in being 
rewarded at such times. 

This time she was not disappointed, for James soon told 
her all that he had learned in the cemetery. His mother 
seemed more surprised than Miss Anne, who never showed 
surprise at any course of events. When he had finished the 
story she pondered it for a few minutes, then gave her ulti¬ 
matum. 

“I can’t tell, to save my life, what young folks are think¬ 
ing about. They think they want something that they don’t 
want. And as for people a talkin’ about you, Jim, I wouldn’t 
give it a second thought. They must have someone to talk 
about. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it ain’t. Now my 
ears burn sometimes and I spit on my finger, then make a 


“One Man's Loss is Another's Gain'' 


151 


cross on my ear. If it stops burning, I know that they have 
said something good; if it don't I know they said something 
bad. But what do I care. Now I lay off to find out the 
truth from Miss Bratten, then I’ll tell you all. Too straight 
to be in politics, eh! Well, you show them, honey.” 

She was as good as her word, for a few days after this 
she returned with the report that Whaley had told the truth. 

“Miss Bratten said that she wasn’t goin’ to have such a 
man carrying her gurrel around places, so she stopped him 
from cornin’ there. But laws sakes, honey, that ain’t nothin’. 
We all know it’s sour grapes. He won’t carry her around 
any more; he won’t even go there. I don’t see why people 
can’t be honest, it’s save an earth o’ trouble.” 

Mrs. Ward, like many another ordinary person, spoke 
great truth. That ‘Honesty is the best policy’ seems to be 
becoming one of the ancient proverbs, for we are fast for¬ 
getting its advantages in the one that has taken its place, 
“Do the other fellow first.” It seems that all the years of 
eternity will not be sufficient to blot out the shame of dis¬ 
honesty. Our actions and our speech betray to others a 
shameful state of mind that is influencing us, or we are 
leading others to create and believe that which is far from 
our thoughts. 

Many are hoping for a far away day to return (it may 
have never existed, except in the minds of dreamers) when 
the world was calm and tranquil. The day when the young 
and the old, to a great extent, will calm their reeling, un¬ 
steady senses, and act like sane, thinking, human beings 
whose lives are based on “Do to others as you would have 
them do to you.” But these girls of the present age, with 
their bobbed hair, rouged cheeks, painted lips, and padded 
legs; and the boys, with sensuous faces, blase manners, who 
are scorned by older people, and called sarcastically, “the 
modern youth,” must certainly be unable to see themselves 


152 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


as they honestly appear, for they cannot be what others 
think they are. 

Let the young people “check up” on themselves, then they 
will see that the future mothers and fathers of our race will 
be a different type, a sturdy, intellectual, religious type, whose 
children will become efficient, giants of leadership, rather 
than a race of weak-minded hypocrites, who go about “seek¬ 
ing whom they may devour” for their own gain. 

But our race need not despair. There are yet some thou¬ 
sands, who have not “bowed the knee to Baal,” and they will 
save our nation in spite of itself, its imbeciles, its profiteers 
and money-baggers. 

A bright-faced, little newsboy was making his way, as 
best he could, in the city in which he found himself. This 
boy was lame, but he was moving bravely and cheerfully. 
He had a smile for the man who bought a paper, and handed 
him some extra change. 

“That is yours, I’ve been owing you six cents for over a 
week,” said the man, “Don’t you lose a great many pennies 
by trusting people?” 

“No Suh, not very often, for I seldom do it. Folks most 
always pay up, especially the older ones, and I don’t trust 
the others. But I reckon most folks will act square if you 
treat them as if you expected them to.” 

He had the proper philosophy, although he had read no 
books on psychology or ethics. He could read faces. How 
much honesty and good behavior, how much respectability of 
any community comes from the fact that law-abiding honesty 
is what each community expects of its citizens. 

We have many times read that certain men were able to 
give all praise and honor to their mothers, who trained them 
for their great accomplishments and achievements of success. 
A good optimist must believe that the boys of our age will 
be saying the same things fifty years hence. The possibility 
is doubtful, however. 


“One Man's Loss is Another's Gain" 


153 


One of these men, who loses no opportunity to render unto 
his mother all due honor was James Purnell. He had seen 
another man act squarely, and never forgot it. The phil¬ 
osophy of the newsboy had always been practiced by Colonel 
Riddle, even while he lost money at the Grange. James had 
discovered the state of the Coloners affairs long before the 
Colonel told him. James often talked to his mother about it, 
repeating at the same time, much of the gossip about his 
friend’s insincere desire to get much money in a concern 
which he knew would fail. But his mother told him to say 
nothing, yet to feel that Colonel Riddle would do the honest 
thing, even while he might have done otherwise, and yet been 
acting according to law. His great philanthropic move¬ 
ment at the Grange was daily costing him more than he re¬ 
ceived; therefore he had a chance to fail in business, and 
save himself a small fortune. But he thought of two things: 
his name, and his stockholders who would lose money. 
Therefore he closed the factory, and paid all the stockholders 
from his own private resources, then decided to return to 
Philadelphia. The factory is now gone, but several houses, 
the partly filled canal, and two stores are still to be seen as 
marks of his enterprise. He failed honestly, proving that 
Mrs. Purnell could read human nature, and James learned 
another lesson of life. 

This failure proved that “One man’s loss is another 
man’s gain.” New Town now rapidly grew into Pocomoke 
City, its progress dating from the day several families moved 
to that town from Klej Grange. The “I-told-you-sos” had 
their inning too, for it had been predicted from the first, but 
Old Man Gloom had retired to get his breath several years 
before. Now he appeared again, more confident than ever. 
This old world would become a delightful haven, and all 
men would feel as angels, if that colossal ghost that haunts 
our footsteps day and night, would retire to the infernal 
regions, instead of startling us from every fence-corner, or 


154 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


appearing from behind every tree along the pathway of hu¬ 
manity. He has become such a familiar fellow that he seems 
to tick from every clock these familiar, never-dying words, 
“I told you so, I told you so.” 

While James was preparing for his weekly call at the 
house of his friend and benefactor, who had made the ap¬ 
pointment in order to explain how affairs had become, he 
heard the familiar voice of Mrs. Ward as it issued from the 
rooms below. But her meaning, that he misunderstood, had 
another interpretation than that which he gave, from hear¬ 
ing the first few words, which were spoken in a loud voice as 
the visitor entered the house. 

“I told you so, Miss Mamie, honey; I told you that ras¬ 
cal would never marry Nellie Bratten. He thinks old Ben 
Lindsay will die soon; then if he marries Dollie he will get 
all the money that the old man leaves her. He’s got it all 
figured out. Walter can’t get another penny from his Pa; 
for Tom Whaley told me himself. He’s wuthless, the 
scamp, and it wouldn’t surprise me if old Ben didn’t die 
sudden-like some of these nights. He thought Nellie’s Pa 
had money to burn, ’cause he’s so stingy, but he ain’t got a 
cent, that is, that he can call his’n. It all belongs to the bank. 
It’s been a right smart while since Jim Purnell’s been to see 
her, but I hears as how he’d get a welcome if he went.” 

Mrs. Purnell answered in a kind, quiet voice, “He was 
there last night, Ann.” 

“I told you so. These men do beat all. The meaner a 
woman treats them, the oftener they crawl back for more. 
A man in love is like a nigger; the man who treats them 
mean is the one who gets the most work for them. I knew 
she’d do it, the minx. When he was poor, she turned him 
down; now that he is able to hold his head up with the 
proudest of them—not that he has not always done it—why 
she slips back again. Well, there’s only one way to cure 
blood poison as I knows of. You must find the nail, then 


“One Man's Loss is Another's Gain" 


155 


stick it in a piece of fat hawg meat. But as you can’t stick 
the nail in the meat in this case, I reckon he will have to get 
the poison. I dreamed of a death last night, and that’s the 
sign of a wedding. It would’ve been better to dream of a 
wedding, then there would’ve been a death instead. Now I 
reckon that means he will get married. And I’ll bet you she 
marries him, while that girl in the mansion, whose heart is 
as pure as gold, pines alone for the man who means the 
world to her. It ain’t fair; I’m going to tell him.” 

Mrs. Ward was not rebuked for taking such liberties, for 
her heart was full of compassion and justice. More than 
that, she loved James and Jane Riddle as her own children. 
These facts Mrs. Ward knew, therefore she felt at liberty to 
speak in such manner. 

“The young folks must make their own choice,” remarked 
Mrs. Purnell. 

“And a poor choice they make sometimes, too; let them 
consult us who have had experience, and we can give them a 
few pointers.” 

“They wouldn’t take our advice; they must live and learn, 
I reckon.” 

“Live and learn? It’s too late in such cases when they 
learn.” 

As she spoke this, James entered the room from the stairs. 
“What is all this excitement about, Miss Ann?” he asked. 
“What poor choice have I been making now ? ” 

“I hear you’re goin’ into politics,” she replied. “As rotten 
as politics is, you got no business meddlin’.” 

“I’m going to make them cleaner.” 

“A poor chance you have to make them cleaner. It’s been 
tried before with no success. Can you keep a mud puppy 
clean ? ” 

“If you take him out of the mud, and keep him out. I’m 
going to separate politics from the mud.” 

“Good luck, honey, but how’re you goin’ to do it ? ” 


156 The Gentleman From Maryland 

“By supporting National Prohibition and Woman’s Suf¬ 
frage.” 

“Well, that’s something I don’t understand. Imagine a 
self-respectin’ woman goin’ to a voting place. They got 
enough to meddle with now. Well, I hope you succeed.” 

“I will succeed. I’m going to become governor.” James 
was speaking in a jocular mood. 

“Why don’t you say president? I wouldn’t stop at An¬ 
napolis.” Miss Ann had become sarcastic; but James passed 
out, on his way to the Colonel’s without answering. 

Then Mrs. Ward renewed her conversation with the 
mother, who had not said anything since James came in. 

“A snake in the grass, and it has bit him. You know there’s 
only one thing to cure snake bite.” 

“It won’t cure in this case, I wish it would. If you ever 
get bit by a snake, just take a live black chicken and tear it 
to pieces while it is still living, and bind to the bit spot, and 
it will draw the poison.” 

“Don’t tell me that you could do that, Miss Ann.” 

“I could do anything to save life, but there is nothin’ to do 
in this case, it seems.” 

“I thought you were going to tell him ? ” 

“There’s some people that you can’t say things to, when 
you like. I’ve known Jim since he was knee high to a grass¬ 
hopper, but the way he looks at you sometimes, he seems to 
say: ‘You leave my business alone! ’ ” 

“He would never say anything like that to a friend.” 

“I don’t take any chances when he looks like that. Do you 
think he heard me talkin’ ? ” 

“No, he heard only what you said as he opened the door.” 

“Well, I hope he didn’t. I think I’ll let him go, like you 
said.” 

“There seems to be a great deal of Purnell about James, 
and the Covingtons were wilful too. So James has a will 
that is inherited from both sides of the family.” 


“One Man's Loss is Another's Gain ” 


157 


“That’s right, I knew Jim’s father when he was a boy. He 
used to defy nature just to see if he would suffer. Why, 
I’ve knowed that boy to break up a mud dauber’s nest just 
to see if he’d be sick for seven days, so as he couldn’t go to 
school. He was into all kinds of mischief. He used to 
worry his mother sick by h’isting the umbrella in the house. 
And whenever he got the chance he’d step over the babies 
so’s they wouldn’t grow anymore. One day he got hit with 
a stone, but he never told his mother why, for she always 
taught him to let the colored people alone. But I saw him, 
for I was walking right behind him. When he come to 
where Selbys lived with their nine children he saw them at 
the window. But the window had twelve panes of glass, so 
there was one pane without a face behin’ it. Then he say, 
‘Who’s daid in there ? ’ Well, old Selby come out an’ say, 
‘What dat ? ’ Then the rascal sade, ‘I see one pane without 
a face behin’ it; there must be someone daid, ain’t there ? ’ 
Old Selby sure was mad, but he didn’t say anything. Then 
as he went into the house the boy shouted, ‘Ram, jam, nigger 
up the stove pipe.’ So the nex’ day Selby told his Ma about 
it, and when he come from school, she say, ‘I got a crow to 
pick with you, come here.’ Well, he didn’t deny it, and she 
left blisters on him for not listenin’ to her. But now days 
kids never get whupped for doin’ anything. When he was 
a little fellow, every time he would get mad with his grand¬ 
mother he would kill a daddy-long-legs, so his grand-mother 
would die. He certainly was bad.” 

“How did you find Mrs. Stagg to-day? ” 

“Right smart better; but she still has bad night sweats. I 
told her to put a quart of water under the bed at night, and 
it would cure them. I told her they were caused by malaria 
chills, but if she would tie a piece of blue yarn around a tree 
the size of her waist, then walk away without looking back, 
it would cure them.” 

“Why, the tree would be so large that she couldn’t reach 


158 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


around it,” Mrs. Purnell said, laughing, for Mrs. Stagg 
weighed about two hundred and fifty pounds. 

At that moment the oldest Gordy boy came into the room. 
His mother was trying to get him to go to bed, but he 
strenuously objected. Mrs. Ward called him to her, then 
said, “Honey, how did you get all them warts on your 
hands ? ” 

“Mama said I must ’a caught a toad.” 

“It ain’t so, honey; toads don’t make warts; but I know 
how they can be made leave. You steal a piece of fat meat, 
or your mother’s dish rag, and rub the wart, then bury the 
thing under the doo’ step, an’ the warts will vanish. Or if 
you can get to the woods, an’ find a horse’s bone, rub it with 
that. Some people say, if you count warts they will disap¬ 
pear, but you can’t count, honey. An’ John Jones made his 
warts leave by throwing three grains of white corn in a 
ditch, then wishin’ that they would leave, an’ walkin’ away 
without lookin’ at ’em. Your wish will come true, if you do 
that.” 

“Don’t tell me so much, Miss Ann, I can’ ’member all.” 

“All right, honey; you try the dish rag, but don’t dig it up 
again.” 

Mrs. Ward then turned to Mrs. Purnell. “Did you hear,” 
she said, “that Miss Dryden is dead? Jus’ las’ week I saw a 
buzzard settin’ on her chimney, an’ I sade then that she must 
be goin’ to die. An’ you know, that is the second death in 
that family this year; there will sure be another one soon. 
Then yesterday morning my old dommineck rooster crowed 
at daylight, which is a sure sign that your friend will die.” 

“I believe you have a sign for everything, don’t you, Miss 
Ann?” 

“No, not everything, but I believe that a right smart of 
our misfortunes are foretold by nature’s signs and warnings. 
We never would’ve heard these things, if the Lord hadn’t 
meant us to use them.” 


“One Man's Loss is Another's Gain” 


159 


“I don’t think they came from the Lord, Miss Ann.” 

“Then where’d they come from, I want to know.” 

“Oh from superstitious minds of certain people, who have 
associated certain events that seemed to happen near each 
other.” 

“An’ you don’t believe any of them ? ” 

“No, I can’t say that I do.” 

“Well, I do,” Miss Ann said, with emphasis, as she started 
for her long neglected home and family. 


CHAPTER XIV 


AT THE COVINGTON MANSION 

After James had left the house on his way to the home 
of Colonel Riddle he decided to walk around by the hotel. 
As he entered he found that the chief topic of conversation 
was the closing of the factory. But while he listened, some¬ 
one jokingly remarked that the governor had arrived, and 
perhaps he could tell them something about it. James in¬ 
formed them that he could tell them nothing; but to his 
sorrow he found that his casual remark to Whaley had 
been broadcasted. He had not seriously thought of it, yet 
he somehow felt that there was a great door of opportunity 
opened to him in this intricate field. He made no answer 
to the jest, however. 

“Why don’t you do it, boy ? ” said Dr. Price, who had 
heard the remark. “Show this worthless scum that there 
is at least one man among them.” 

This brought a laugh from the boys assembled, for they 
had been “working on” the venerable man of medicine. Their 
jests, as usual, had not been taken kindly by him. One thing 
that he was very particular about was his coflee. He always 
wanted it hot with his meals, and made a great complaint if 
it were not just right. 

On this particular morning someone’s thoughtlessness had 
caused him to burn his mouth severely; therefore, he was in 
an ill humor. When the lodgers sat down to their break¬ 
fast, one of the young men remarked, as he tasted his cof¬ 
fee, “Coffee cold as ice again, as usual.” The old doctor 
immediately grabbed his, and gulped down a large mouthful, 
as the first step to the censure which he intended to give 


At the Covington Mansion 


161 


the waiter. But this time it was scalding hot, and he was 
compelled to leave the table, amidst shouts of laughter, be* 
cause of the severe burning he had received. That is why 
he applied the term “scum” to the loungers in the hotel. 

Of course this was the signal for another tirade of abuse 
against the doctor. “What became of those biscuits that 
were left after dinner to-day?” someone inquired. 

Then another added, “He didn’t get any breakfast, so he 
ate all he could at dinner, then carried away what was left.” 

“What became of them pieces of candles that were on the 
table this morning ? ” said another. 

“What was that you had wrapped up in your handkerchief 
this morning as you went out to your farm ? ” 

Grabbing his cane, and forcefully whirling it above his 
head, the aged man drove the tormentors out of the hotel. 

It is true that the old man was very stingy. He hated 
boys, and they hated him. Of course a man like this might 
as well try to be friendly with loose tigers as with a group 
of boys. Dr. Price took every baseball and bat that he could 
get, then burned them for wood in his small stove. Part of 
the bat would stick out through the half closed door, but 
would be pushed in as the inner end burned away. It was a 
known fact that he saved the ashes from this small fire, 
wrapped them in his large handkerchief, then took them to 
his farm, which was about five miles away. It is also a fact 
that after his death his trunk was found to contain many 
pieces of partly burned candles, moldy biscuits, ashes 
wrapped in rags and paper, decayed apples, partly eaten, and 
many other signs of the miser. In his efforts to atone for 
his miserable life he left several thousand dollars in trust 
with the Makemie church, with which to build the Price 
Memorial Church at Stockton, nine miles south. 

After witnessing this scene James continued to the Cov¬ 
ington Mansion, where Jane met him, and ushered him into 
the drawing room. She told him that her father was not 


162 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


feeling well at all, but would soon be down. Within a short 
time, however, the two seemed to have forgotten the exist¬ 
ence of the father, for they were deeply engaged in conver¬ 
sation. He told Jane of the meeting between him and 
Whaley in the cemetery, of his discovery, of his visit to 
Nellie, and even of his resolution to enter politics. As usual, 
she heard him with great earnestness and interest, but said 
very little. Even his announcement that he had been to see 
Nellie Bratten seemed to move her very little outwardly; yet 
her heart was sorely tried. “Why cannot a woman speak,” 
she thought. Then the unkindest blow of all fell when he 
said that he intended to see Nellie again that night, for he 
had been spending a portion of his nights at home with her. 
She made no reply, however, for she could say nothing. An 
expression of disappointment flashed across her face, but 
only for a moment. It was caused by the thought that it 
meant nothing to him that she would spend sleepless hours 
that night. 

As her father came down the steps to meet him, Jane said, 
“James, who do you think is going to be married next 
week ? ” 

“Not you, I hope? ” 

Her heart thought, “Little you would care,” but her voice 
spoke cheerfully, “Not I, but someone you greatly admire. 
Rose Buckingham and Howard Irvin. I am to be one of 
her bridesmaids, so she has told me.” 

She left the room as her father came in, leaving them 
alone to talk of their affairs. 

“I am going to rest for some time now,” said the Colonel. 
“Part of the time I will be here, but at other times I will 
be at our home in the city. I never intended to make Snow 
Hill my residence; but the girls like it so very well that I 
wish them to stay longer, if they wish it.” 

Later in the evening the Colonel said, “I have always had 


At the Covington Mansion 


163 


your interest at heart, James, and would like to see you suc¬ 
ceed. What will you do now ? ” 

James had never spoken to his friend concerning his 
resolution, but he did so now, knowing that he would receive 
good advice. 

“It may seem strange to you, Colonel Riddle, but for 
sometime I have thought that I could serve my country bet¬ 
ter than I am now doing by becoming a politician. It rests 
with the people, of course. If they have confidence in me, 
and will elect me, I believe that I can serve them well. ,, 

The Colonel thought in silence for sometime, then re¬ 
marked, “You will find many temptations and more oppor¬ 
tunities not to play fair in politics than in any other pro¬ 
fession, or business; yet I believe you will do the right thing, 
James. What caused you to make such a decision? ” 

“There have been several contributing factors that have 
caused me much thought. I saw Mr. Mason thrown out of 
the saloon of his life-long friend; I saw Roy Gordy made a 
perjurer because of his love for drink; I have been witness 
to its complete power over Walter Whaley and a score of 
my schoolmates, who were formerly fine boys, but who now 
have no moral fibre whatever, and practically no moral re¬ 
straint or principles. It is true that I have sometimes taken a 
drink, but I learned my greatest lesson while in Philadelphia 
for you. 

“Feeling rather down-hearted because of the way I was 
being treated in this town I stepped into a saloon to have a 
drink, believing that it would brace me up a bit. There were 
several men standing in the place speaking of community 
matters, and of the recent elections in Kansas. Someone 
spoke of his belief in personal liberty in connection with the 
ticket discussed, which so aroused a quiet man of the group 
that he made this explanation. 

“‘That’s a catchy phrase, “personal liberty.” It sounds 
all right. I used it a good deal in my earlier life. I was a 


164 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


temperance man—by education and common sense, as I used 
to say—but I thought too much fuss was being made over 
the liquor traffic. Every man who is a drunkard deliberately 
chooses to be one. Then one day I was called away to a 
mountain region on business. It was an out-of-the-way place, 
and when my work was done I found that I had missed the 
single train that would have taken me away, and I was com¬ 
pelled to wait, at a shabby little hotel, until the next day. I 
heard that there was a murder case being tried at the old 
shabby court house, and I sauntered over there. 

“ ‘A mere boy of about twenty was on trial. There was 
no mystery or complication about the case; he and four 
others had been somewhere one evening, and started home. 
The others wanted a drink on the way, but the boy obj ected; 
he wanted to go home. They insisted that he should stop, 
called him a coward and a baby, and force and ridicule drew 
him along and persuaded him to drink. At the trial it was 
proven that this was his first experience with intoxicants; 
its effects upon him was to turn a naturally good-natured, 
peaceable boy into a fighting maniac, who was unmanageable. 
His companions fought to get him home, but he finally made 
a savage lunge at the throat of one of them with an old 
pocket knife, inflicting a .severe wound. They succeeded in 
getting him to his cabin where his mother alone awaited him, 
and knew nothing of what had happened. But the boy he 
had wounded died before morning. The jury filed out in a 
short time, and I returned to the hotel. 

“ ‘Having nothing to do after supper, I returned to the 
court house to hear the verdict of that ignorant jury. The 
old mother was beside her boy in that scantily furnished 
room, lighted by one lamp and the moonbeams. The jury 
brought in the usual verdict of guilty, and the mother fell 
back on her seat, while the boy dropped to his knees on the 
floor beside her. She put her poor, work-worn hands and 
arms in faded sleeves around his neck, and began to pray. 


At the Covington Mansion 


165 


I never heard a prayer like that. Earthly hope was gone; 
she was appealing in her agony to a higher power and 
cleaner justice. That prayer burned into my heart and 
brain; it changed for all time the views of one man on earth. 

“ ‘Presently someone lifted, gently, her poor arms from 
the boy’s neck and led him away. I heard the sound of the 
mother’s feet as they pattered slowly down the bare hallway 
to her lonely cabin. The boy was sentenced to a term in the 
penitentiary. Whether that devoted mother lived to see her 
boy free again I do not know, but I do know that I made a 
vow that night that I’d fight against the liquor traffic by 
every means in my power. I don’t talk so much about per¬ 
sonal liberty these days. No one has a right to curse the 
world, or to ruin himself.’ 

“While I heard that man speaking I made the same vow, 
although I had thought it out when I saw Mr. Mason kicked 
from the saloon in this town. The question is as old and 
as deep as sin itself. No man has the liberty to wrong 
another for gain, then to be protected by law when he does it. 
We cannot return to savagery, unless we become savages 
while every man becomes a law unto himself for his protec¬ 
tion. The fine arguments of the rich in support of its claims 
to own human beings as chattels have been destroyed by 
blood. Let us now free our country of that belief that a man 
can sell his fellowmen that which will ruin their bodies and 
souls, and make them a menace to the communities where 
they live. Freedom does not mean license to wrong others 
for selfish gains. Honest men have been blinded by specious 
reasoning, and young men misled by pompous phrases, which 
the devil coins for his own purposes.” 

“Do you expect to be elected as an advocate of these prin¬ 
ciples ? ” asked the Colonel. 

“No, Sir. I know I would not be elected if I told the 
public this; but I shall wait for a favorable opportunity to 
deal a crushing blow. The people must be educated. It will 


166 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


be harder for the North to give up whiskey than it was for 
the South to give up her slaves.” 

“James, I did not think it was in you. You have shrewd¬ 
ness and diplomacy; two leading requisites for a successful 
political career. Combine them with a desire to serve your 
fellowmen in righteousness, and you will succeed wonder¬ 
fully.” 

Then James started for home. He looked for Jane to ap¬ 
pear, as she always did, to dismiss him from the house; but 
this time she did not come. The Colonel looked as if he, 
too, expected her, but he closed the door, himself, after the 
departing caller. Such is the mystery of human nature, that 
he who has thoughtlessly wounded feels piqued at the non- 
appearance of the one to whom he has announced the success 
of a rival. 

At this time Jane was in her room wondering at the blind¬ 
ness of men in such affairs, although very shrewd in other 
matters; who even show true greatness at other times. 

The next day James found a letter at the post office for 
him, which confirmed what Jane had told him about Rose. 
It also invited him to be a witness to her marriage. 

Because Rose was without a mother at the very period that 
a girl needs a mother the most, she planned the wedding to 
be at Makemie church, of Snow Hill, and spent the last few 
days of her girlhood at the home of the Riddles, where 
Katherine Riddle attempted to take the place of a mother 
to the bride. 

This wedding proved to be a long remembered one in the 
old town, for it united two of the oldest families of the 
county; even of the Shore. The Buckinghams had settled 
in the upper end of the county, near the place where the 
town of Berlin now stands, when the first settlers came to 
the state. The first member of the family who came to the 
region was reported to be very closely related to the Duke of 
Buckingham, who was famous in the reign of England’s 


At the Covington Mansion 


167 


virgin queen; while the Irvins claimed to be of a lineage as 
old and as famous, yet they did not have the same proof of 
being the descendants of a favorite of that queen. At any 
rate, it was to the founder of this name and family in Mary¬ 
land that credit is given for naming the town. Two brothers 
came from the London suburb of the same name, the one 
settling in Maryland, and the other going farther West. A 
grandson of the western settler, a few decades later, became 
the fifth president of the Mormon Church of Utah. Now, 
at least these two families were to be united, the one re¬ 
joicing while the other submitted with much show of family 
pride; for, notwithstanding the fame and dignity of the Ir¬ 
vins, Mr. Buckingham felt that his daughter was stepping a 
little lower in the social scale than any other member of 
his family had done; but he was obliged to submit, for such 
was life in America, even for that element that would have 
liked to see grow in this country an old world social dis¬ 
tinction. 

The wedding day at last dawned, with rain in the morn¬ 
ing, but with sunshine about the middle of the day, thus 
auguring, according to Mrs. Ward, a happy life for the 
bride. According to the old prophecy there must be a great 
many marriages performed on rainy days. The time ap¬ 
pointed was high noon, and both bride and groom arrived 
several minutes early. The bride was dressed in white bro¬ 
caded satin, full skirt, long and trailing, tight basque effect, 
with large puffed sleeves reaching to the elbows, with bodice 
cut square at the neck. The gown was trimmed in real 
pearls and old lace that had been used by her grandmother 
and her mother when they were married. 

The Makemie church is one of the finest of the older styles 
on the Shore, for it is the second oldest of its denomination 
in America, the one at Rehoboth being the oldest, although 
’the original building is not standing. The present building 
is built of red brick brought from England as ballast in 


168 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


ships seeking a cargo from the colonies. It has two very 
high spires, one of which is several feet above the other. Its 
windows and doors are of the Gothic style, there being a 
triple stained-glass window in front and one on each side. 
These windows, which cover nearly the whole space between 
the ground and the eaves, and extend from one tower to the 
other, are enriched by cusps, arranged in trefoils and quarter- 
foils. A double door opens from each side, at the base of 
each tower, affording an ideal plan for a wedding procession. 

The bride arrived at one of these doors, in the phaeton of 
Colonel Riddle, accompanied by Jane and Katherine Riddle. 
They found the groom and his attendants awaiting them at 
the other door. Laura Riddle played the wedding march 
upon a pipe organ—one of the very few on the Shore at that 
time—and each party marched up separate aisles, side by 
side. The bride and groom knelt beneath an arch of holly, 
running cedar and mistletoe clusters containing the green 
berries, while they were married by the venerable pastor of 
the church. 

There was one humorous incident of the service, which 
made it almost impossible for the crowd assembled to main¬ 
tain a gravity of demeanor suitable for the occasion. When 
the minister asked Howard to repeat the words, “I, Howard, 
take thee, Rose, to be my wedded wife,” the groom proved 
to be so confused and nervous that he was unable, with 
three trials, to say anything but “I, thee Howard, take thy 
Rose, to be my wedded wife.” After the third trial the 
minister seemed to give up in despair, for he proceeded with¬ 
out the proper form being repeated. But, although the words 
were not repeated correctly, the marriage was well sol¬ 
emnized, and continued a satisfactory union until death. 

In those days of difficult travel very few weddings ended 
with a journey being taken. The Irvins did not take a 
journey, but drove off together to the home of the groom’s 
father. They made their home with Mr. Irvin and his 


At the Covington Mansion 


169 


daughter, Nan, until the death of the father a few years 
later. Nan never married, perhaps because the right man 
did not appear. Many men seem to overlook the human 
diamonds in their mad rush for those that glisten and spar¬ 
kle in artificial complexions, yet later prove to be as worth¬ 
less as paste. 

As James stood on the stone steps of the church while he 
watched the party drive away, he heard a quiet familiar 
voice speaking to him. It was the voice of Nellie Bratten, 
and what she was saying was: “It was beautiful, wasn’t it? ” 

James saw in a moment that she was unaccompanied, for 
her home was only a few yards away, at the northwest cor¬ 
ner of Market and Church Streets, therefore he said to her, 
“I reckon you are walking.” 

“Yes, it is so near, and mother did not feel like coming.” 

“I am also walking; shall we go down together? ” 

“If you wish,” she answered, as they started away to¬ 
gether. 

Mrs. Bratten met them at the door and extended a cordial 
invitation to him to stay to dinner. She had never shown 
such solicitation to him before, even in the days when he was 
a constant visitor at the house; at least he had never no¬ 
ticed it. At first he felt flattered, then he hesitated to stay, 
but the amicable voice of the mother, and the unfeigned 
welcome that shined from the eyes of the daughter, brought 
him to a speedy decision. He accepted the invitation. 

Even the father, who had been one of his bitterest ac¬ 
cusers, having spent his life in the bank where he had been 
intrusted with thousands of dollars belonging to other peo¬ 
ple, without using one penny for his own purposes, and 
naturally looking with hatred upon anyone whom he thought 
guilty of such misdemeanor, came in to dinner with all 
traces of distrust gone from his face, and in their place, 
the friendliest of smiles. In fact, every member of the 
family seemed to be endeavoring to make amends for their 


170 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


former treatment, by appearing as if nothing had happened 
to mar the former friendship that had existed between Nellie 
and her old playmate. It was with a great deal of satisfac¬ 
tion that James reported the events of that dinner to Jane 
on his next visit to the Covington Mansion. 


CHAPTER XV 


THE OLD FLAME REKINDLED 

If James had loved Nellie Bratten previous to that day, 
he now loved her more than ever before that evening had 
ended. He had no thoughts for anything or anybody else 
while with her. When such men fall in love with women of 
her type they forget the world; they forget everything but 
themselves and the girl whom they are with. They become 
moonstruck. If ever they act like fools, it is then; they 
forget that the women are human; they even scout any idea 
that they are, with contempt and indignation. They become 
saturated with the idea that never again will they be able to 
love another in the same manner; and this they declare to 
the object of their affections with incomparable force of ar¬ 
gument, as if their very lives depended upon telling it; while 
the girl, who doesn’t believe a word of it, allows them to 
proceed to their own satisfaction. That is the reason most 
men have talked themselves out after the first year of mar¬ 
ried life. Yet if the lady happens to change her mind, or if 
they marry and she “shuffles off this mortal coil,” it is quite 
noticeable that the period of mourning is quickly ended when 
another lady shows a willingness to share their loneliness, 
or to fill the vacant chair. It is even becoming the fashion of 
the moment to have the chair filled before the lady has 
shuffled. 

As the evening drew to a close James felt the same way 
toward Nellie; the way millions have felt before, yet it is 
always a new story, a different story each time that it is told. 
He expressed the great happiness which he felt at being 
with her after such a long period. 


172 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


Her answer was: “You have not always seemed to desire 
that happiness again.” 

He decided that he must be careful how he steered the 
craft of conversation. Then she continued: 

“You have not seemed to care in the least, although I ad¬ 
mit that I acted thoughtlessly on the night of the party at 
Irvin’s.” 

“How could you expect me to show interest while my 
place was taken by another ? ” 

“You are wrong; your place was not taken. I hate to 
speak of it, but we were all misled.” 

“What do you mean?” James earnestly asked. 

“I mean that I—that is—I—eh—have never changed, 
James. Father urged me to marry Walter. He used to 
admire you for your manliness until that unfortunate 
trouble; now he hates Walter, but he is so proud that he will 
not speak of it. I have pride too, but I will speak, for I want 
you as much as ever.” 

While she said this they were standing in the hall, for he 
had started to his home. He did not know how it hap¬ 
pened, but it seemed an opportune moment. He had her in 
his arms in a moment, and her hands were upon his shoulders 
while he eloquently pleaded his cause, declaring his love, and 
setting forth the future plans of his life with her by his side. 
He pleaded with her to share them; that he would fail with¬ 
out her, and all the objection that she made was to hang her 
head upon his shoulder and tremble, while she said: 

“If you had talked like this before I would have saved 
several people a great deal of trouble.” 

“I was not in a position to say it, and you seemed to be in a 
great hurry. I thought you understood.” 

“Men expect girls to understand too much, James.” 

After all is done that can be done, the blame must rest on 
the man. 

That evening he left in a state of perfect delight and rap- 


The Old Flame Rekindled 


173 


ture. They were engaged. When he left it was with his 
promise to speak to her father, to purchase the ring, and 
to return as soon as these details were attended to. 

In this condition James failed to see her childishness, her 
want of character or spirit. He felt that he was happy; that 
he was the luckiest man in town. What a foolish time some 
men spend when they become engaged for the first time. 
There is none, who in the contemplation of the past, does 
not regretfully smile, when thinking of such times. 

It is at this time that men desire to share their joys with 
their friends. Who is that cannot remember telling father, 
mother, or friend about his first engagement? No matter 
how many came afterward, the first stands out in bold re¬ 
lief as being the only one shared with others. James, being 
a man, did not tell his mother, he had no father or other 
close male friend to tell. Therefore, after spending the first 
night sleepless, but happy, he went to Jane Riddle, for he 
desired to have her approbation. He told her that his reso¬ 
lution and action had not been thoughtless; that he believed 
that no case of such profound love and earnestness of feel¬ 
ing had ever before existed. 

Somehow, as he talked to her, there was drawn in his 
subconscious mind, a contrast between the two women. Why 
did he desire her confidence and commendation? He came 
to her in disappointment, sorrow, joy, hope, and now love. 
He had always found his friend sympathetic and quick to 
divine the truth; to share the burden; to offer help; or ad¬ 
vance encouragement. She had always made him forget the 
bitterness and to see the brightness that shined from be¬ 
hind the darkest cloud. 

Jane heard him apparently with the same calm interest; 
then wished him the most of happiness. “I am alway glad 
when anything makes you happy,” she said, “I hope this 
step is in the right direction. If all is as you say, I believe 


174 The Gentleman From Maryland 

that you cannot be otherwise than happy; only be very sure, 
James.” 

“I am very sure,” he answered, as he left her. 

After he had gone the contrast that had lingered in his 
mind for a moment became more vivid. How calm and cap¬ 
able Jane seemed. She was always like that, with one ex¬ 
ception. The night she had left Whaley during the dance at 
Irvin’s. And how different he felt when with her. What 
an influence she threw over him and over all with whom she 
came in contact. He tried not to think of it, but the thought 
kept forcing itself upon him. “Why was he able to recog¬ 
nize these qualities in Jane, and not in the woman of his 
choice ? ” It was evident to him that something was lacking 
in the personality of Nellie, which he found in that of Jane. 
However, love is so blind that these things are generally 
discovered too late. 

His engagement was a short one; Nellie preferred it so. 
She said that she had made a mess of her first engagement; 
that many of her friends had sent her presents for her wed¬ 
ding. Now she preferred a quiet wedding at home, with no 
one present but the immediate relatives, if he did not object. 

Of course he did not object to such plans; men never do. 
It is always the women that desire to make elaborate prepa¬ 
rations and display. If the money generally spent for ex¬ 
pensive clothing, invitations, cut glass, candlesticks, and nu¬ 
merous whatnots, that the babies use as playthings later, 
were left in the stores, and the value given in dollars and 
cents, after the example followed by many less civilized 
tribes of humanity, many a bride would be spared anxious 
moments, even years. She could feel more independent, and 
at times, would be spared much embarrassment. 

Just two months after the Irvin wedding, James and Nel¬ 
lie were quietly married at her home. Mrs. Ward was the 
only lady present who was not a relative, a fact that she was 
very proud of, and about which she never failed to speak at 


The Old Flame Rekindled 


175 


every opportunity. James had desired her to be present. 
Besides this, her services were in great demand, for she 
took charge of the kitchen and the entertainment. She ar¬ 
rived early in order to have the house “tidied up” before 
anyone arrived. She was given full charge of the pastry, 
for it was a well known fact that there existed nowhere any¬ 
one who was more handy with that line of culinary art. She 
often said that, at weddings and funerals alike, she “was 
the whole hog rootin' in the trough.” 

The first disagreement between James and Nellie took 
place while they were deciding who to invite to their wed¬ 
ding. James desired to have the Colonel and Jane Riddle 
present, but Nellie very strenuously objected to his asking 
Jane. Later she reluctantly consented, and they were asked. 
The Colonel came, but Jane begged to be excused. She was 
sorry, but she felt too ill. Indeed, this was the truth. The 
current that affairs had suddenly taken had greatly affected 
her; yet so careful and guarded was she that only two per¬ 
sons suspected the truth. The wise father had had his sus¬ 
picions for sometime; and Aunt Cora, who still reigned 
supreme in the Irvin kitchen, had suddenly developed the 
habit of mumbling to herself. If her thought concerning 
James had been known to him he would not have thought 
them sweet, by any means, for Jane was a great favorite 
of the old servant. 

“The ingrate,” she would mumble, “the ninny, the nin- 
com-poop; he 'lows a baby face to chahm all resen out’en 
him. A no 'count doll, with honey words an’ aihs to 'swade 
him dat grass don’ grow as sweet anywhar’ 'cep' oner her 
lazy feet. Why that Miss Jane am a’ angel Gabriel 'sides 
any Bratten I evah seen.” Then with disparagement to her¬ 
self, she would quickly add, “What for yo’ all mumblin' 
about, niggah? 'Tain’t yo’ funeral. Yet it do pain dis ole 
brack heaht to see de worry in Miss Jane’s eyes, it shuah do.” 

But her mumbling did her friend no good, for the wed- 


176 The Gentleman From Maryland 

ding took place without her consent. And now the young 
couple were living at Nellie’s home. She had absolutely 
refused to go anywhere else, claiming that she could not 
leave her mother. But the next September an important in¬ 
cident occurred, that was destined to change the lives of 
several actors that were present that day. A great political 
meeting was held on the court-house lawn. Frank Collins, 
the political boss of Worcester County, was the principal 
speaker. He had held all of the offices in the power of the 
people of the state to grant, and was now at Washington as 
a senator, where he had represented the people for several 
years. His chief political slogan was, “Boys, if you vote 
for me this time I will never ask you to again.” His speeches 
were merely a repetition of that phrase, followed as often 
as he repeated it, by jokes, some of which made the audience 
blush. 

Like many other politicians of modern times, he had made 
many promises which he had not endeavored to keep; but his 
power lay in the fact that he hired the majority of his lieu¬ 
tenants from the ranks of the gentlemen behind the bars. 
He was a Democrat, of course, for no other need apply in 
southern Maryland. He pacified the better members of his 
party by giving them petty offices of his county or of the 
state, and the Republicans who lived in this community never 
saw the inside of an office, except that of jail warden. Mr. 
Collins always prided himself on being able to hold the at¬ 
tention of his audiences for one hour; yet the only thing that 
the hearers remembered after a few days was his oft- 
repeated slogan. 

On this particular occasion the voters had listened in the 
usual manner for over an hour. All the bread that they re¬ 
ceived was the usual stale jokes that they might tell to their 
friends, if they remembered them long enough. But this 
day he made one statement that was long remembered by 


The Old Flame Rekindled 


177 


James Purnell, who was listening on the outskirts of the 
crowd, while he studied the man and his methods. 

“Some men call me a failure,” he shouted, “but I can con¬ 
trol the candidates of either political party, and I defy any 
of these young rascals, who are urging many reforms, to ac¬ 
complish anything without my permission.” 

In those days a man, who desired office, needed only to 
declare his intention of becoming a candidate. If he could 
gain enough votes he could win the office. But only in few 
cases could a man do so unless he had the backing of the 
boss of the district. It required almost a miracle for a man 
to be successful against the powers that were. Possible men 
were often bought off by the gift of a small county office, 
yet miracles often happened, and still do. 

As James listened to Mr. Collins his mind kept ahead of 
the speaker. His quick intelligence guessed ahead of what 
the politician said. He was talking to an audience of rural 
people; there was not much intelligence in it; men are not 
required or expected to think much in such places. They 
would be forever miserable if they did. Therefore, it is 
often better for a person if he is not a thinker. Neverthe¬ 
less these audiences have character, and with that intuition 
characteristic of the American of Anglo-Saxon origin, they 
can fathom a man’s heart and intentions, if it is not in their 
power to do anything. This audience was composed of both 
parties, and Mr. Collins decided to stimulate one and win 
the other. 

Then to the surprise of the crowd the speaker branched 
out into one of the questions that were being discussed 
throughout tbe state. He began to outline his policy of edu¬ 
cation. It was the old money-saving policy; that system by 
which the tax-payers were saved money at the expense of 
their children’s intellects. That method that gave the Mary¬ 
land Experimental College more money for the development 
of better stock, than for the development of finer boys and 


178 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


girls. Even to-day many fine horses and cattle have more 
comfortable boarding places and lodging houses than the 
children of those who groom and feed them enjoy, either at 
night or during the day while they are at school. There 
are scores of schoolhouses on the Eastern Shore that could 
not be given to men to be used as stables for their stock; 
yet children are sent there to spend every day during school 
hours. But the crowd cheered the speaker whenever he 
spoke of lowering the tax rate. 

When he had finished James remarked to a by-stander, 
“He’s on the wrong track; he is not up-to-date. It would be 
easy to defeat him by the right policy.” 

“Do it then,” the stranger said, sulkily. “You’ll have your 
hands full. His policy is the one that wins votes.” 

“I will,” replied James, “you’ll hear from me later.” Then 
he left the gathering and walked toward home. 

When James had gone to live with his father-in-law, 
Nellie and her parents had haltingly invited him to bring his 
mother there also, but that could not be thought of, for his 
mother was now living in the house to which she had gone as 
a bride; the house that had sheltered the Purnells since it had 
been built by the signer of Maryland’s Declaration of Inde¬ 
pendence. She had decided to spend the remainder of her 
life there, even if her son lived elsewhere. Mrs. Gordy was 
still with her, and the two women had become fast friends. 
In this house, with its old fire-places and chimneys, it gable 
bed rooms, with their heavy, corded four-posters, three gen¬ 
erations of Purnell’s had been reared; but the truth is that 
this house was not fine enough for the artificial Brattens, 
and many other families that would have made excellent 
social climbers, if placed in New York. Whether they would 
have arrived anywhere in their ascent is not known; the town 
still numbers many of their ilk; imitators, rural substitutes. 
The true aristocrat would have felt honored by the chance to 
share with James Purnell the shelter of this famous house, 


The Old Flame Rekindled 


179 


and to continue to extend its more famous hospitality to those 
who knocked at its doors. 

That evening James reported the events of the meeting to 
his wife, who listened indifferently, then he added, “You 
don't seem interested in such things, my dear.” 

“Why should I? Women don’t vote.” 

“Not now; but they are going to, some day. That is to be 
part of my platform.” 

“Your platform! What are you talking about?” 

Every politician must have a platform, you know. From 
to-night I am going to be a politician, Nellie. I do not like 
the stand that Mr. Collins has taken concerning education. 
I have an idea that will defeat him, and I hope that the time 
will soon come when you and all women are permitted to 
vote.” 

“James Purnell, are you really serious?” 

“As much so as the night I asked you to become my bride.” 
He gently raised her from her chair, seated himself, then 
drew her down upon his lap. 

“Why do you desire to enter politics? Aren’t we happy 
enough here ? ” 

“I have two reasons. I have got to do something to make 
a living, and in doing so, I want to serve my fellowmen.” 

“A living? I think we are doing very well.” 

“We can’t always live like this. I haven’t done anything 
since the factory was closed.” 

“But everyone said that you made lots and lots of money 
down there. Aren’t we rich ? ” 

“Yes, very, with each other and love.” 

“Stop being foolish, Jim, and answer me.” 

“Nellie, my darling, I am far from rich. I have a few 
thousand saved up; but that will go a very little ways. I 
really am poor, financially. Then when we have babies, we 
will want much more for them.” 

“But we don’t want babies, and we won’t have them. The 


180 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


best families are not bothered with such things. I don’t 
think we ought to talk about them.” 

“Why not, Nellie? Every man wants someone to live 
for; someone who will bear his name, and who will carry out 
his unfulfilled plans, perhaps.” 

“We could never do that, James. Very few of my mar¬ 
ried friends have them. And those who have even one stay 
at home and never enjoy any of the pleasures of life.” 

“They have their pleasures at home; pleasures that the rest 
know nothing about. Modern marriages are a failure just 
because babies are not wanted. Our race is disappearing for 
the same reason. The day will come when Virginia and 
Ohio cease to be the mother of our presidents, and of our 
public men. New York City, and other cities, will produce 
the leaders. Our ideals of government and religion and 
morality will be replaced by those of the civilizations of the 
Old World. The Anglo-Saxon race will be pushed into 
oblivion.” 

“Please don’t say any more to me about it.” 

“I must say something more; it is true. Then if we ever 
moved from here, I could not hire a servant like your father 
does. You would be my cook and housekeeper as well as 
my wife.” 

“Don’t talk that way; it sounds so dreadful. I wasn’t 
meant for a common drudge.” 

“But it’s the truth, honey, God knows. We can’t live here 
forever, and you must help me. We must-” 

“Oh, Mother,” she cried, “take me to her, quick. I can’t 
stand any more of this.” 

Her mother heard her cry and came to the door. At first 
she thought that they were quarreling; then James explained 
the situation while his wife clung to her mother. It was a 
difficult task for the young husband. 

“She has never had any cares, James,” said the mother, 
“you must be careful. You were too abrupt, James; you 



The Old Flame Rekindled 


181 


will need to use more tact, for she knows nothing of life 
except the joyful side.” 

“James felt like asking why she had been reared in such a 
manner, but refrained. He answered, “I tried to be joyful, 
Mrs. Bratten. I simply said that I was poor; that I must 
work for a living.” 

“That’s what did it, James. ‘Poor and work.’ She does 
not know what either term means. Don’t speak to her of 
either of them for sometime, and all will be righted again.” 

This came from the woman who had been from one of 
the poorest of the families of the town, when she married 
the young teller of the bank. It had not been so very long 
since she had done her own washing and ironing, and much 
of her work. Many a marriage floats upon the rocks because 
girls are not taught the responsibilities of keeping a home; 
instead they are petted by their parents, who allow them to 
sleep until ten o’clock in the morning while their breakfast 
waits, then defend them by saying, “Let them enjoy them¬ 
selves now; their time will come soon enough.” The parents 
are the ones to blame. What kind of business men do the 
boys make whose fathers take the same attitude toward 
them? In thousands of homes where there are several 
grown girls, a servant does the work while the girls live in 
idleness. This unnecessary expense is paid by the hard-work¬ 
ing but indulgent father. 

The next morning James arose at seven as his custom 
had been for several years. “Why do you get up so early, 
James,” his wife asked. 

“My dear, I must work.” 

“But don’t work; let someone else do it.” 

“How shall we live, if I do not, Nellie? ” 

“We are living, and it suits me,” said Nellie from the 
depths of the bed clothes. 

It was useless and he said no more. Some women just 
cannot understand. He leaned over the bed and kissed her, 


182 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


then went down stairs. He left word with the servant that 
he would be back about ten o’clock, then he passed into 
Market Street and went up to his old home and his mother. 


CHAPTER XVI 


HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 

When the hordes from Asia overran Europe in the Dark 
Ages they attempted to frighten their enemies by the fearful 
faces which they made. Their faces had much to do with 
their conduct and characters. Our faces portray our con¬ 
duct and characters; for character is formed by continuous 
action, yet when it is fully developed it controls our actions. 
When a task is to be performed attempt it with a grin. It 
may be difficult and distasteful, but anyone can grin while 
doing it. It gives power to do it. The way to become 
self-controlled, noble, true, and kind is to act in all things 
with all the power to be commanded. We cannot have good¬ 
ness and character unless we build it, and we cannot build it 
unless we attack our work with a grin. Men see our faces 
through the years and recognize the growing character or 
the sardonic look of lost hope. 

And, Watchman, tell us of the characters of tomorrow. Is 
it the present generation that determines the character of 
the next? If that is the case there is a burden which we are 
not taking upon ourselves. Parents are passing off their 
sons to the care of others. The modern expert is training 
or untraining them. They are not being educated, for the 
system that prevails does not check the unworthy; neither 
does it spur on the worthy. It rather checks the ambitious, 
and makes automatons of the unworthy. Some day we will 
be delivered from the hands of high salaried experts, and 
will return to that system that has made the Americans a 
distinctive people; a powerful nation of inventive geniuses. 

And what the expert fails to do the modern business man 


184 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


expects the mother to do. He refuses to answer the children’s 
questions; he sends them to the mother. Then when the chil¬ 
dren go the wrong way he comes with his information and 
knowledge which he passes generously to the boy who pays 
not the slightest attention. Then when they come from 
school full of the modern teaching of life; the scientific 
origin, and happens to inquire about the future, or about 
God, or the Bible, the parents are annoyed at the daring 
questions which they are not capable to answer. God and 
religion have no place in the modern home, parents don’t 
think much about it anyway. It is too easy to ship the boy 
of! to bed disappointed and dissatisfied. He returns to the 
teacher, who teaches him more about the evolution of life 
from the water to the monkey, then to the man. We are 
fast slipping over the brink of eternity with no future to 
hold to. 

We can make anything out of the children that we desire. 
We can make them devils or we can make them saints. But 
if we leave it to the outside world they will all be made devils. 
It all depends on the parents. And the God above is holding 
the parents responsible. 

When a man is seen walking with his children, playing 
with them, or attending church with them, that man is doing 
his duty to the children. He sets them the example; he 
takes them to the right places; he points out to them the 
dangers and the contrasts of human life. People look at such 
a man’s children and remark that he is certainly a fortunate 
man. He ought to be both happy and proud because of his 
children. They forget that he has made his children what 
they are; their 'dispositions, their manners, their behavior, 
their character, all are just what he has made them. 

On the other hand, if the father is silent and grump; if he 
sets before the children bad examples; if he stays away from 
church; if he spends his Sundays rushing from place to 
place, quarreling, threatening, blaming, and feels a relief to 


Heredity and Environment 


185 


be rid of them, his children will be just the same. People 
feel no sympathy for him. His children are products of 
environment. He will have a rude awakening some day when 
it is too late, and then he will endeavor to cast the blame on 
society in general, or on the children who are his counter¬ 
parts. 

Mothers are upbraiding their sixteen-year-old daughters 
to-day and criticize them severely because they will not take 
advice. The girls answer that mothers are old fashioned, but 
that is not the reason that the girls disobey. The indulgent 
mothers and fathers, bent upon pleasure and money grabbing 
failed to take the girl or boy at six days old, the natural age 
when training should begin. 

When James reached home that night he contrasted the 
training of his wife with that which he had received. His 
training has been the old-fashioned kind, yet the only kind 
that will save the race for the eternal kingdom of God. Hers 
had been an imitation of that which exists among the 
wealthy of our cities. An idle life of pleasure is their God. 
And poor simple families of a few thousand dollars have 
caught the idea that they are not smart unless they neglect 
church, family duties, Sabbath observance, the Ten Com¬ 
mandments, and children, for that is what the smart set 
of the cities Is doing. 

The age in which we live is one of imitation, excitement, 
extravagance and indifference to all things spiritual. Little 
attention is shown to old standards. Everybody is ready to 
ridicule the Sabbath and the Commandments of God; many 
are willing to live “Where there ain’t no Ten Command¬ 
ments,” to check their natural longing. Old Anglo-Saxon 
ideas of our forefathers are being ridiculed because they are 
virtuous, modest and moral. Instead, they are introducing 
the cabaret, the girl who smokes cigarettes, a neglect of the 
home with its steadying influence upon the young. Parents 
are willing to turn over to State and school the moral training 


186 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


of the young which can be done only by those of Christian 
home. And these homes must replace the cheap novel, the 
New Thought magazine, Unity, Progress and many other 
faith-destroying periodicals that are found on the tables of 
the modern home with the Bible, the Word of God, the bread 
of life. Some day the public will awake to the menace that 
is being courted, for when the Bible and the Sabbath go, our 
civilization goes. Rome was not built in a day; neither was 
it destroyed in a day. It had many days to repent in sack¬ 
cloth and ashes. This is our period of repentance. We were 
built a Christian nation; we will be destroyed a heathen 
nation, if we do not repent. 

James would have felt better, as he walked to his mother’s 
home, if he could have had confidence in the girl who had 
become his wife a few days before. The scene which had 
been acted was trifling, perhaps, yet it was unfortunate. 
Such beginnings do not contribute favorably to happy end¬ 
ings in war, or love, or life. Like many others he began to 
think seriously after it was too late. Nellie had kept up the 
bars of her real self, so that he had seen nothing but imita¬ 
tion. Her idea, and that of her mother, was to marry a fine 
man. Now that she had done that she might let down the 
bars, but what he found was not pleasant pastures. He 
received a glimpse of what his future life would be. 

With such thoughts surging through his brain he reached 
the home of his bachelor days. It was early in the morning, 
but he found Mrs. Ward there. “There must be important 
news,” was his greeting, as he entered the door. 

Mrs. Ward looked very wise. “Here comes the grinning 
groom, but where is the blushing bride ? ” she asked. 

“Oh, it’s too early for her,” he answered, lightly. 

“Well, there is news, haven’t you heerd it? ” 

“No, I have seen no one this morning.” 

“You are too much occupied with your own life this morn- 


Heredity and Environment 187 

ing. Newlyweds never see or hear anything else. How do 
you like ? ” 

“How do I like? I am very happy.” 

“I reckon so; but I must tell you the news. I taken some 
da’lea bulbs to Miss Jane yisterday, an' she tells me that her 
dad had planned to sell his house. They are going back to 
the city. The Gunnel asked me to send you to him if I saw 
you today. I knowed you would be here this morning sc 
I come for you.” 

“Thank you, Miss Anne, I shall see him.” 

“There's somethin’ else, too; there’s a speakin’ at Sandy 
Hill today, an’ pray tell, who do you reckon’d speak ? Walter 
Whaley!” 

That was a great surprise to James, “What will happen 
next, Miss Anne ?” Then, without waiting for her to answer, 
he added, “What’s he a candidate for ? ” 

“Nothin’. He says he’s a lieutenant of Collins’. Goodness 
knows, the old man’s had enough without droppin’ his 
mantle on such a mouthpiece.” 

“Why, what’s the matter with Walter ? ” 

“There you go agin. You always defend him. Someday 
your eyes’ll be opened, Jim Purnell; then you’ll unnerstan’ 
some things.” 

“Well, I believe I’ll go to that meeting, myself; then I will 
hear what he says.” 

“I hope it don’t rain. But I saw a bunch of buzzards flyin’ 
in a circle. That’s a sure sign of a No’theaster. An’ last 
night the Milk Maid’s Path pointed that way. That’s a 
sure sign that the wind will blow in a storm. An’ when I 
saw that, I looked at the moon, which was laying on its belly. 
An’ listen to that rooster crowin’. Why, he’s right at the 
doo’; your ma will see a stranger within twenty-four hours.” 

“What’s a stranger got to do with a storm, Miss Anne,” 
asked Mrs. Purnell. 

“Why, a right smart sometimes. Mebbe a storm will send 


188 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


the stranger to you. And there goes your dish rag.” Mrs. 
Purnell had dropped it upon the floor. “But if you shake it, 
it will drive them away.” 

“Drive what away?” 

“Why, the company. If you don’t want them, shake that 
cloth out the doo’. An’ I forgot to mention that there was a 
circle around the moon last night; that means rain or snow.” 

“Why didn’t you count the number of stars in it, Miss 
Anne? ” asked James, laughingly. 

“It was too cloudy to see stars.” 

“And if you had looked at a certain star while you wished 
that it would not rain, then had not looked again that night, 
your wish would have come true.” 

“Now honey, you’re laughing at me. I know many people 
don’t believe in signs, but I believe the Almighty wanted us 
to know some things, an’ he provided way for us to know 
by.” 

“If we followed all your signs, our lives would be miser¬ 
able.” 

“My life ain’t miserable. Now as I come up the street last 
spring I saw Cap’n Howard, who ought to know better, a 
plantin’ beans an T potatoes while the moon was pointin’ down. 
I told him the sprouts would go down, an’ sure enough, he 
had to plant them all over again. It’s just the same when 
you shingle a roof when the moon points up; the shingles will 
point up. ’Tain’t no use to go contrary to signs.” 

“Would you advise me to go to Stockton to-day? ” asked 
James. 

“Yes, go; I reckon the storm won’t hurt you any.” 

It was at Stockton that afternoon that the real politician 
was born. If Whaley could address a political meeting, so 
could he. If not as a lieutenant of Collins, he could speak in 
his own behalf. 

After Whaley had finished his speech, James asked the 
crowd to remain. This they did, for it was not late. Whaley 


Heredity and Environment 


189 


stayed also. He was not a little disturbed by what he heard. 

It was the first attempt that James had made to speak 
before a crowd; yet this effort was far from being a failure. 
He told how he disagreed with Mr. Collins; but his address 
was conspicuous for the absence of one word against Mr. 
Collins personally. The idea that the only way to win an 
election, is to hurl abuse and names at the opponent must be 
discarded. When a man can say no more, but begins to make 
the other man all bad, he shows his own weakness. James 
merely stated that he intended to be a candidate for the 
legislature of the State, then stated what he intended to do, 
if elected. No one at that time knew who would be the 
candidate favored by Mr. Collins, but all believed that he 
would be Whaley. And they were right. James closed his 
short address by saying, “Give me your votes, and I will 
promise you my most loyal support.” He had openly defied 
the Collins ring, and all believed that he would not be heard 
from again. 

As he finished speaking rain began to fall. An old oyster- 
man stepped out upon the hotel steps, gazed for a few 
minutes at the sky, then remarked, ‘T reckon we’re in for a 
bad spell. A Nor’easter is due.” 

“I hope I can make Snow Hill,” James remarked. 

“I reckon you cain’t,” the captain answered, “you better 
stay awhile.” 

In a very short time he was glad that he had stayed, for 
the rain came down in torrents. It was impossible to face 
the wind for a nine-mile drive in such a storm, for the road 
was already in a bad condition. He was very eager to get 
away; now that he had declared his intention of being a 
candidate he wanted to speak at the other towns, and the 
election was just three days off. Yet he was forced to spend 
that night and the next day at Stockton. 

About three o’clock the next afternoon the rain ceased, but 
the wind continued. Many of the oystermen were anxious 


190 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


about their boats that were tied to piles near the George’s 
Island Landing; therefore they went to the Landing in 
order to see how they were faring. But they could not get 
near the Landing, for the waters of the Sinepuxent had 
come in over the marsh for half a mile, and many of the 
boats, which had broken loose, were many yards from their 
mooring places. It was necessary for them to get in small 
boats, row out to the larger ones, and get them back in deep 
water before the tide receded. Many of these boats were 
never gotten back, for the hulls and masts may be still seen 
on different parts of the marsh. 

The intensity and fierceness of this storm are still remem¬ 
bered by the people of this community. There is a long 
projection of land from the main land that extends for some 
distance eastward, partly dividing Parker’s bay from the 
Sinepuxent section. On this small peninsula there is a 
knob of land several feet higher than the surrounding 
marsh. This storm cut its way into this knob near Besson’s 
landing, unearthing several skeletons, the remains of Indians 
who were buried on this high point when they had undisputed 
possession of these fine fishing grounds. Beneath each Indian 
there was found the skeleton of a dog, a tomahawk, and 
arrow heads, thus proving that the Chincoteague Indians 
used this high spot as a ground for burying. 

At the time of this storm a great portion of this land had 
recently been in corn, but now the fodder was stacked in 
several places over the field, which extended to the road near 
the Joiner property. As one of the men who had left Stock- 
ton, in order to care for his boat, passed the corner of this 
field he noticed what appeared to him to be an overturned 
flatboat, or scow used by the men in towing oysters. This 
object was lodged against a stack of fodder which stood 
several feet from the road. Upon closer examination it was 
found not to be a boat, but a mattress which was floating 
upon the water. In the middle of this mattress he found 


Heredity and Environment 


191 


what he thought to be a large bundle of clothes, but when 
he picked it up he decided that it was too heavy for clothing. 
He unwrapped it, and to his surprise and consternation, he 
found it to be an infant about ten months old. She was 
dressed and wrapped warm enough to keep out the cold, and 
the bundle was lashed to the middle of the mattress in such 
a manner that it could not roll off into the water, unless the 
mattress overturned. The man returned to the hotel at 
Stockton with the child, where he was quickly surrounded 
by a curious crowd who listened eagerly to his mysterious 
story. 

“What are you going to do with her ? ” asked a storm- 
stayed drummer. 

“The Lord only knows,” was the answer. 

“Give her to me,” James requested. 

“How do you know it's a her?” someone asked. 

“Well, whatever it is I will take it home with me. It may 
bring me good luck.” 

The man was glad to get rid of the bundle, so he handed 
it to James, saying as he did so, “Name her Kitty Fodders, 
for she was found in the corn field against a fodder stack. 
I hope she proves good luck to you.” 

The next morning a two-masted schooner was found 
grounded on the sand bar which projects from the small 
peninsula into Sinepuxent bay. The ship’s cabin, which was 
above water, bore a foreign name. How it had drifted so 
near the land still remains a mystery, for it had to enter the 
inlet near Chincoteague Island in order to get in the waters 
of the Sinepuxent. Yet a few years later the dead carcass 
of a very large whale floated ashore near the spot where 
the boat was found. 

When the cabin of the boat had been entered the body of 
an unconscious woman was found lying partly upon the floor 
and partly upon the wall, for the boat had listed about forty- 
five degrees. All of the other occupants had disappeared, 


192 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


and were never heard of again. With great difficulty the 
men who found the woman were able to resuscitate her. 

It was sometime before she spoke, however, then she 
asked, “Were you able to save anybody else yesterday ?” 

“Nobody knowed anything about the wreck yesterday, but 
late in the evening a baby was found floating on a mattress,” 
she was told. 

“Was it alive ? ” 

“Yes’m.” 

“Thank God, thank God! Where is she? ” 

“James Purnell, of Snow Hill, has taken her to his home.” 

She said no more, except to say that the boat had drifted 
for several hours during the night and that the sailors had 
disappeared somewhere during that time, but her face seemed 
to light up with great joy to know that her baby was safe. 
After several hours rest at the hotel she was asked many 
questions, but all efforts seemed to fail when they tried to 
learn her history. She told them that when the boat struck 
the land and turned over she knew that there was only a 
mere chance of saving the child. She had wrapped it in the 
clothing, then fastened it to the mattress from the cabin, 
which she allowed to float in with the tide; then she had made 
several attempts to get off, but during one of these attempts 
the boat had heavily rocked, throwing her with her head 
against the side of the cabin. She supposed that one of 
these lurches had rendered her unconscious. That was all 
that she would say. Within three days she was able to 
leave the hotel, then she hired a farmer to drive her to Poco- 
moke City, where she bought a ticket for Philadelphia, 
leaving her benefactors no clue as to her identity. 

When she arrived at the hotel James was gone. She 
seemed greatly relieved by this fact, although she asked 
several times concerning the condition of the child. James 
had taken the baby to his own home where he showed it to 
his wife. But that lady, being already provoked because he 


Heredity and Environment 


193 


had stayed away from her so long, went into a rage and 
suffered a fine attack of hysterics. It was necessary for 
James to remove the child quickly. This he did. He took 
it to his mother and Mrs. Gordy, who received it jointly 
with much happiness, promising him that they would take 
the best of care of it. He then returned to Nellie, who had 
calmed to a certain extent. 

“Why in the world did you bring that brat here? ,, she 
stormed. 

“I really can’t say. I pitied it from the moment I saw it. 
Imagine a little thing like that being out in a storm such as 
we had, on nothing but a husk mattress. I suppose I acted 
on the impulse of the moment, but I certainly like the little 
thing.” 

“Why do you like somebody else’s kid, I should like to 
know ? ” 

“Because it has no home. If it were a stray dog as ugly 
as a mud puddle, and as dirty, you would not hesitate to give 
it a home.” 

“There's a heap of difference between a dog and a baby.” 

“Of course there is, and that’s the reason I prefer the 
baby.” 

“Are you going to keep it ? I never want to see it again.” 

“My mother will keep it. I hope it will bring me good 
luck tomorrow.” 

“It will do nothing of the kind; such trash never does.” 

“How do you know it is trash? And if it is it can’t help 
being born. Certainly parents do not consult the babies’ 
feeling about their desire to come into the world.” 

“You certainly have the most foolish notions for a sane 
man that I ever heard in my life. First, you mingle with the 
rabble about politics; then you go in for raising somebody 
else’s babies for luck. You’re as bad about such things as 
Miss Anne is about superstitions.” 

He feared that if he said anything she might be offended. 


194 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


therefore he did not answer her. Married life was not 
proving so wonderful to him; although he loved his bride 
dearly. 

After dinner, while he stood at the window, he saw his 
friend, Mrs. Ward, going up the street toward the court¬ 
house. He was reminded that three days had almost passed 
since she gave him the message from Colonel Riddle. He 
had not intended to treat his friend thus; but it was no fault 
of his that he was detained by the Northeaster which had 
come upon him so suddenly. He decided to go immediately 
to the Covington House. 

It was only a few minutes’ walk up the street; yet as those 
minutes sped by he lived over again many of the events of 
his life that had taken place during the last few years. His 
friend, the Colonel, held a prominent place during that 
period. Then he reluctantly confessed to himself that Jane 
Riddle had meant much to him during that period; that he 
had greatly missed her, and her advice. He had also missed 
her warm companionship since his marriage. His wife 
might have been the means of his forgetting these things, 
if she had been the right person; the one whom he thought 
that he was marrying; but now he even looked forward to 
this visit as a means of enabling him to pass a few minutes 
with Jane. What would she think of his new plans, and of 
his keeping the baby which had been found. With this de¬ 
sire recognized he reached the house, knocked on the door, 
and was admitted by Aunt Cora. 

“Bress de Lawd, if it ain’t Mistah James. De Kunnel am 
’specting yo’ all, but he am out jes’ now.” 

“All right, Auntie, I will await his return.” 

There was no one in the quaint old drawing room as he 
entered from the hall. He looked into the room where he 
had spent many hours with Jane, and saw her sitting by the 
fire, at a wonderful old-fashioned mahogany desk, writing 
a letter. 


Heredity and Environment 


195 


She looked up as he entered, and it was a pleasure to see 
the change that passed over her attentive features. 

After seating himself near her, he said, “I have missed 
your company and advice recently; I cannot say how much.” 

“So soon?” she teasingly asked. 

“I don't know what it is, Jane; there is something about 
my mental make-up that I don’t understand. When I was 
able to come to you for council and advice I learned to de¬ 
pend upon you almost entirely.” 

“I am happy if I have helped you; I still stand ready to 
offer you my aid if you need it.” 

“I am glad that you have been a sister to me; I believe 
every man needs a sister, sometimes. Now I get miserable 
sometimes; especially today I need my sister’s help. The 
men are voting and you know that I am a candidate. I am 
not as sure of the result as I was several days ago.” 

“Girls need a brother sometimes, too, James. You didn’t 
ask my advice about that,” she cheerfully said. 

“No, I didn’t, Jane; but I have not seen you since Mr. 
Collins spoke here. When I came in and saw you again 
today I felt that same influence that I have always experi¬ 
enced while with you, an increased hope or conviction that I 
will be successful. What is the secret of your power, Jane?” 

At his question Jane looked up from considering the fire. 

“Whenever I have come to you,” he continued, “I have 
felt that I would receive help and that this house is another 
home for me. I must say it; I have always experienced a 
certain feeling of happiness and peace in your presence.” 

In her calm manner, and tender voice, she said, “If you 
are in trouble and I can help you, tell me of it and I will 
see what can be done.” 

“I am not in trouble, but I feel that your presence will aid 
me through this day, if I am defeated. They are saying all 
manner of evil against me in order to defeat me. If I am 
defeated I want to rely upon your encouragement.” 


196 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“Not on me, James! on some one else now, surely.” 

“You know how I love her, for she is the best little 
woman; but she has relied upon her mother so much that she 
seems easily frightened and worried. She does not under¬ 
stand the world as you do. She has lived her whole life in 
and around Snow Hill, in imitation of what she thinks the 
outside world is like. If you will listen I will tell you what 
happened last night.” 

Then he told her about the foundling, and how she re¬ 
ceived it. He also told what attitude Nellie had taken when 
he announced his decision to become a politician. 

A woman is put in a very embarrassing position when the 
man she loves tells her of the problems between himself and 
the woman he chose for his wife. 

Jane listened to his story with much interest, then she 
said, “You must give her time, James. She is very young 
yet, and with your help she will improve greatly.” 

“But that seems to be the trouble. She always goes to her 
mother. My advice is not asked nor taken, and my help is 
refused.” 

“As you have come for advice, I believe I will give it. 
Take your bride to a home that she can call her own; not to 
your mother’s home, either. The finest way for an inex¬ 
perienced wife to learn is in her own home where she can 
do things for herself. This she does not feel like doing in 
somebody else’s home.” 

“I’m afraid her mother will not consent to her leaving 
home.” 

“No mother, with her daughter’s interest at heart, will 
stand in the way of her happiness.” 

“But she is happy where she is; I am the one who is not 

happy.” 

Then the footsteps of the Colonel were heard coming 
through the hall. James arose to meet him as he entered the 


room. 


Heredity and Environment 


197 


“How do you like the life of a politician, James? Exciting, 
isn’t it ? ” the Colonel asked. 

“It’s fine so far, Colonel. I don’t know how I’ll feel 
tomorrow, though.” 

As James said this he turned, with a smile, to the place 
where Jane had sat. But her chair was empty; she had 
quietly left the room. 

“Have you been down town today? ” 

“No Sir, not since I came home.” 

“Then you do not know what they are saying; they are 
telling monstrous lies.” 

“What are they saying ? ” 

“The same old thing; that you are a thief, a jail bird, and 
that you are keeping a baby at your mother’s house. I am 
telling you this merely to put you on your guard, and to 
warn you to what limits a politician will go to win, some¬ 
times.” 

“They certainly know where I got that baby, Colonel.” 

“Of course they know, but it serves their purpose to say 
that it is impossible to find a live baby under such circum¬ 
stances.” 

“Who is saying all this ? ” James angrily demanded. 

“It seems to have started from Whaley, but it is being 
repeated wherever a group of men are to be found.” 

“It doesn’t look much like I will win, then, does it ? ” 

“I don’t believe you stand much chance, James. Don’t give 
up, however. Take lessons from them as the Romans did 
from Hannibal; in two years from now you can defeat them 
at their own game.” 

“I won’t stoop to such methods, Colonel.” 

“Well, so much for that; I want to talk to you about my 
affairs. I am going to leave Snow Hill, and I want you to 
purchase my house.” 

James faced him with astonishment in his manner. “I 
can’t do that, Colonel Riddle.” 


198 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“Oh, yes you can, my boy. I know what your objection 
is; but you want the house, I can see that, and I want you to 
have it. Just leave the arrangements to me, and I will suit 
myself in the matter.” 

James said no more, for he knew that the Colonel would 
have his way. His hopes had suddenly jumped very high. 
“Was this what Jane referred to?” he thought. “If so, 
perhaps it was her scheme.” Nevertheless, he liked her the 
more for it. When he left the Covington Mansion that night 
it was as its new owner, and a prouder one never looked 
upon it. 


CHAPTER XVII 


“ I LIED, I LIED ! ” 

It was to be expected that the politicians would repeat 
every old report that had been circulated about James, then 
invent many new ones. Many a good man has been defeated 
in this manner when all other means have failed; yet the real 
man will never stoop to hurling calumnies even though de¬ 
feated. The real man will begin anew, and will build up an 
unconquerable defense in the minds of his constituents by 
convincing them that he is going to do something; not by 
persuading them that no good can be found in his opponent, 
or that he has failed to keep the faith. Trust the people to 
find that out quickly enough; they are looking for the man 
who will keep the faith with them. 

James soon learned the result of his first effort to become 
a public officer. He was defeated, but not hopelessly. His 
opponent was so hilarious over the victory which he had won 
that he stood in the doorway of the Whaley store on the day 
after the election, inviting every man that passed into the 
store. James passed that corner of Washington Street and 
Market Street that day, and was invited in with the rest. 
Mr. Collins himself came out to him and urged him to go in. 

For some reason James allowed himself to be persuaded 
in, but it was an unlucky move for him. Collins had said to 
him, “Don’t take it to heart; every dog has his day; come 
on in, friend.” As James was still very young he did as he 
was bidden; but he found the place packed and the peculiar 
mixture of the atmosphere of the place, caused by smoked 
meats, groceries, whiskey, tobacco, and the nauseating 
breaths of human drunkards was a repulsive experience to 


200 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


him. But he found many of the town’s leading citizens 
seemingly enjoying the situation, for they joked and laughed 
at the indecent stories of their popular representative. James 
was determined that he would not show the white feather, 
even when Collins came to him, and led him back into the 
store, where he recognized Walter surrounded by many of 
his friends. 

“Walt, meet our worthy opponent; you had a close call, 
perhaps the next time he will be successful; but we will look 
after that. It seems that he succeeded in defeating you at the 
marriage game; but you carried off the honors in yesteday’s 
game.” 

Whaley’s answer was an insult; not intended for James 
directly, but for his wife. He poured out a tale of obscene 
language, in imitation of his chief, which he gave as his rea¬ 
son for ending his engagement to Nellie Bratten. He ended 
by saying, “I can do as I please with any girl that I ever 
saw.” James realized that Walter was intoxicated; yet he 
could not let such an insult pass unnoticed, unless he was 
willing to be branded a coward. With incredible swiftness 
he jerked Whaley from his chair to his feet and demanded in 
a low, but determined voice: “Say that you have lied, you 
base, dirty pig. Say it, or by God, I’ll brain you.” 

Whaley was taken by such surprise that he was some¬ 
what sobered. Grasping a corn cutter from the counter he 
raised it above his opponent’s head. But his movements 
were slow, causing him to be too late in his murderous in¬ 
tents. James raised a stool above his head, then with a para¬ 
lyzing blow, he struck the arm which held the knife a ter¬ 
rific blow. The knife rang against the floor, where it lay. 

More sobered than ever, Whaley started behind the coun¬ 
ter ; but the blows continued to fall in rapid succession upon 
the half-bent back, until he fairly yelled, “Hear me, I lied— 
I lied.” 

Many a man has acted in haste, and repented at his leisure. 


“I Lied , I Lferf/" 


201 


Many a man, during that leisure, has felt like the long-eared 
ass. But the thing being done, nothing remains except vain 
regrets. Yet if a man is not sordid in such grief, or in his 
love, he will never hate or shun the one to whose level he may 
have stooped. Rather, he will become big-hearted enough 
to resolve never again to stoop except it be to lift the more 
unfortunate brother to a higher level. 

It was with a great grief within his heart that Purnell 
walked toward his mother’s home. The Colonel had not been 
in the store, but he had been down town where he had been 
told of the fight by an eye-witness. He saw James a few 
paces away, and called to him. Knowing James’ disposition 
the Colonel realized what must be the condition of his young 
friend’s mind at that time. Therefore, he did not permit 
James to go to his mother, but led him to the Covington 
Mansion, where James made several efforts to explain; but 
he was unable to express his feelings over the unfortunate 
experience. 

After they had sat in silence for a short time the Colonel 
said, “You need not attempt an explanation, James. No full- 
blooded American could have acted otherwise; I heard what 
that fellow said, and know what led you to act as you did. It 
is an unfortunate fact that such fellows are yielding to for¬ 
eign influences, which are debasing the position of woman¬ 
hood until we see men remain motionless when a woman is 
insulted by a filthy-mouthed libertine. I am afraid that the 
day is not far distant when the honor of woman will be an 
unknown quantity. We may never hitch them to our plows 
and wagons, but there are worse things than that. It was not 
so in our father’s time; then common politeness was seen 
everywhere. To-day politeness is disappearing among the 
younger generation. Men are beginning to forget their hats 
in the presence of a lady. They no longer retire for a smoke 
or a drink; but invite their lady companions to join them. 
They remain seated while a woman stands, even seeming to 


202 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


purposely neglect her. But the deference always shown by 
the true American to the weaker sex; that almost glorified 
position which she has held among us, has contributed greatly 
toward making us the greatest nation on earth. Woman is 
the crowning work of God’s creation, and when we allow her 
to fall from that pedestal on which we have placed her; when 
she becomes as one of our mere possessions, to contribute 
to our happiness and pleasure; then we shall fall as a nation 
from the position that God intended that nation to hold 
which holds its women, not as chattels and white slaves, to be 
used as mere pawns of man’s pleasure, but as the most noble 
work of God’s hands.” 

James answered, “I did not intend to act the brute; yet 
that fellow has ruined my reputation already; I was de¬ 
termined he should not have such an easy time of it in ruin¬ 
ing that of my wife. I became so incensed that I could no 
longer control myself. I made the mistake of allowing my¬ 
self to be led into the hole in the first place. But I have 
determined to see him to-morrow. Perhaps we can get on 
better terms with one another.” 

The two friends talked for some time after this; then the 
Colonel remarked, “I think Jane wishes to see you.” When 
he had said this he left the room. 

In a few moments Jane entered. James arose, saying, 
“Well, sister, I am here again, and in trouble, as usual. I 
will be mighty sorry when you have gone to the city, for I 
seem to lack all those qualities which I find in you—good¬ 
ness, determination, resolution,—and because I lack them I 
need a friend who will supply them. You will never know 
the inspiration that you have been to me.” 

“Whenever you talk like that, I know you want me to do 
something. What is it you wish now, James? ” 

“Some advice, that’s all.” 

“I don’t forget for what I am indebted to you, James; 
neither does my father. Whether in Philadelphia or else- 


"I Lied, I Lied!” 


203 


where I will not soon forget. But I wanted also to ask you a 
question concerning something that has worried me for some 
time; in fact, has worried all of us.” 

“Ask it Jane; I will do my best to answer it.” 

“I will probably not have the opportunity soon again.” 
Then she lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “Have you 
noticed a great change in papa since the factory closed ? ” 

“I will be plain with you; I have noticed it. Especially, he 
seems to stay around you girls and the house so much. He 
has always been so fond of the outdoors.” 

“Every day he goes out to the stable to his horse, but he 
never rides away as he used to do. It is not at all like him. 
Before this, he has seldom stayed with us at all.” 

“It may be because he has given up his business affairs. 
He now feels free to enjoy the comforts of his family and 
home.” 

“No,” said Jane, “there is a physical change. He does not 
walk so erect. His eyes do not have that active fire in them 
that we are so used to seeing there. Remember that he is 
sixty-eight and has always worked hard. He knows that we 
must return to the city; but he continues to put it off as if 
he feared the city. I am really alarmed, and so are the other 
girls. I do not believe that we will ever get him there.” 

James had begun to answer her, but she pressed her finger 
to her lips for silence; then arose to meet her father as he 
returned to the room. That a change had taken place was 
very evident; it was now plain to James, who had been so 
engrossed in his own affairs that he failed to see the great 
difference in his old friend. His step was more slow; his 
voice, when he spoke was more low; and his unusually erect 
figure seemed to be bent considerably. He took more care 
as he sat down in his great arm-chair; his hands shook as 
he rested them on the arms of the chair. 

All this the daughter seemed to watch as he seated him¬ 
self. Then she went to him, raised one of his arms, sat upon 


204 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


the arm of the chair, and put her arm caressingly around his 
bent shoulders. The contrast that she made was very vivid. 
James thought of the picture on his way home. The young 
girl in all her strength and health seemed to reveal the great 
change that had come over the father. He had forgotten the 
troubles of his friend in thinking of his own. Now he forgot 
his own when he thought of the Colonel and Jane’s appre¬ 
hension. But when he entered his wife’s home the events 
of the day returned to his mind. 

That she had heard of his trouble he felt sure. The sar¬ 
castic tone of Mrs. Bratten told him that much. When he 
had asked for Nellie, her mother answered, “She has been 
in bed all day; but little difference it seems to make to you.” 

“She did not seem sick when I left this morning. I had 
no idea that she was not feeling well. She generally is in 
bed when I leave.” 

The mother said no more, a fact for which James was 
glad. He attributed this to the fact that Mrs. Ward was in 
the kitchen with Mrs. Bratten. 

He passed up to the room where Nellie was, but she re¬ 
fused to talk for sometime. Then he remarked, “Well, I am 
defeated, little girl.” 

“Just as I expected,” she answered. “I reckon you’ll be 
satisfied now.” 

James then related his troubles with Whaley; he wanted 
her to know the truth from him, but when she heard part of 
the cause—James would not repeat the whole remark—she 
semed to change her attitude and voice. She even gave him 
one of her old glances that were filled with pride. “I am glad 
you did it,” she said, with great force. 

This was the first time that she had given him the slight¬ 
est praise, either directly or indirectly, since he announced 
his determination to do something. And perhaps this came 
from her hatred of the man who had refused her because she 
was a weakling, without any depth of character or individu- 


“I Lied ., / Lied! ” 


205 


ality. It also gave James the opportunity of telling her that 
he had purchased the home of Colonel Riddle, and his plans 
for work. He had failed as a politician, not because of any 
inability or unworthiness, but because he was too honest. 
Barnum said, “The American people like to be humbugged.” 
The majority of the public men of politics have wonderfully 
learned the showman’s art. 

His wife listened to the plans which James proposed for 
their future home without speaking. Perhaps she knew that 
she had a strong ally in her mother; but when he announced 
the second plan, his wife’s gaze was one of indignant aston¬ 
ishment. James announced that he would enter the grocery 
firm of Powell, Hargis, and Company. According to Nellie’s 
training and mode of thinking, it were far better to become 
a blacksmith than a groceryman, for grocerymen lived by 
dependence upon others. Of course Whaley’s father was a 
groceryman, but what made the difference was, that he was 
wealthy. Was not her father a banker ? She could never be 
the wife of a poor groceryman, who was one of a firm of 
several, perhaps the drudge of the Company. But times 
are changing rapidly; for to-day the merchant is held in 
the highest esteem, and the best families of such towns are, 
to a great extent, either connected with a merchant, or en¬ 
joying the fortunes made by merchants. It was a bitter day 
for Nellie and her mother when James came home sprinkled 
with flour, and smelling of coffee, smoked fish, and molasses. 

It must be said to the credit of Powell, Hargis, and Com¬ 
pany that they absolutely refused to sell intoxicating drinks 
of any kind. Because of this James did not hesitate to be¬ 
come a member of the firm. One of the reasons that it was 
impossible for a saloon to be dignified was because it robbed 
men who were the finest of gentlemen of all dignity; and the 
main reason that the merchant’s calling has become dignified 
is the fact that the merchants have stopped carrying intoxi¬ 
cants as an article of trade. James’ company soon realized 


206 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


that they had gained a valuable member; he was quick and 
accurate; courteous, tireless, and possessed a wonderful ex¬ 
ecutive ability. The old firm soon took on new life, and 
within a short time, it became the leading business house of 
Snow Hill. 

This new work also gave James the opportunity to meet 
people, to talk with them. He made more friends in six 
months than he had made in all his life. When a lady drove 
to the store alone he was there to take care of her horse 
and baskets. When she left he went with her to the buggy 
or dearborn, unhitched the horse, turned it around, if neces¬ 
sary—for all women hate to turn a team around while others 
are looking—and started her on her homeward way, a sure 
disciple who would see that her husband, brothers, or father 
voted the right way at the next election. If one of the 
slower members approached them while in the store, the 
ladies almost invariably asked for James Purnell. 

“What are we to do about this ? ” asked Mr. Powell on 
one occasion. “James can’t be everywhere.” 

The customer smilingly, but frankly answered, “You will 
have to become as accommodating as he is.” 

These friends amply repaid their polite salesman at the 
next election. He was able to tell them many things to the 
mutual advantage of all. He persuaded them that the pre¬ 
vailing system of education was all wrong, and announced to 
them that he had a far better plan which he proposed to give 
the state if he were elected at the following election. He be¬ 
lieved that if he centered all his efforts on one or two re¬ 
forms at a time he would make better speed. 

And so it proved to be. At the next election Walter 
Whaley was defeated by James, who represented his con¬ 
stituents at Annapolis. Here he became the father of the 
great educational bill of 1872 which gave every boy and girl 
in the state an equal chance. Around this law has been built 
the present system of education in Maryland. 


"7 Lied, 7 Lferf/" 


207 


But the first thing that he did when he had the opportunity 
was to attack the prevailing condition of morals in his own 
town. The mayor of the town was a puppet in the hands of 
Collins, whose education was very limited, having only 
reached the sixth grade in the grammar school. He cared 
nothing about the conditions of the town, having as his 
motto, “Make money in any way you can, nobody has any¬ 
thing to do with it as long as you do not interfere with 
others.” He believed that all should have a good time in any 
way they wished. They might get drunk, they might gamble, 
they might be as hilarious as they pleased on the streets, it 
was nobody’s business. He carried out these two principles, 
therefore he allowed all opportunities to act in any way 
that appealed to the animal in man. 

He forgot, or did not know that the youth were a part of 
the town. The conditions of the houses were terrible. Dirt 
and disease were everywhere in the tenement section; the 
school was run by politics; the teachers were those who 
could not be placed anywhere else to advantage, and the 
children could go, or stay away, from school as they pleased. 
The parents even found it safer to keep the children away 
from such conditions. Men boasted that they were able to 
do anything with the law that they choose, for the mayor 
was their personal friend. They even caught the states- 
attorney, took him into a store, and forced whiskey down his 
throat, until he had to be taken home to his family, who never 
saw him intoxicated before in his life, for it was his first 
time. And the town’s smart set was composed of men who 
were counted as the leaders of the town life, but in their 
imitation of New York they served champagne, egg-nog, 
cocktails, arranged dances where liquor was served, and prac¬ 
ticed every kind of evil that they had heard of being done 
in the city. 

Things had gone from bad to worse until an unseen 
calamity fell upon the town, taking the breath out of the 


208 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


citizens for a short time at least. One of the chief citizens 
gave a dance to which he had invited several of the boys and 
girls of his set. He served a great deal of wine with the 
following dinner, which was drunk by the older guests as 
well as the younger. His wife noticed that their son was not 
drinking like the rest, therefore she took the opportunity that 
presented itself as she went to the kitchen in response to a 
call from the servants, to say to her son, “A gentleman is 
supposed to drink as much as his guests/’ When he had re¬ 
ceived, in addition to this, several meaning looks from her, 
he yielded to her wishes and drank as much as any of the 
rest. One of the young girls did the same, and after the 
dance she proposed that he take her for a drive. The Negro 
servant who hitched up the horse stated that he had to help 
the two of them into the buggy. When he returned he en¬ 
tered the room, which still contained several of the guests, 
all of which he drove out at the point of a pistol. He acted 
like a demoniac; he smashed things right and left; he in¬ 
quired for his mother, who had taken fright and had locked 
herself in her room. Not being able to get to her he threw 
himself upon the divan in the drawing room, where he at last 
fell into a troubled sleep from sheer exhaustion. The search 
for the girl lasted all night. She was found the next day 
about a mile from town where she had been murdered by 
her drunken escort. The boy’s meeting with his mother the 
next day was a heart-rending scene. Pointing his finger at 
his mother, he exclaimed: 

“You made me a drunkard and a murderer. I don’t want 
to see you again. You told me that a gentleman must drink 
as much as his guests. I’ve killed one of them. She was 
your kind. Now I’m a murderer and so are you. Go away 
from me and let me die.” 

Even the hands of the church people were tied so that they 
were helpless. Nearly all the members of the party in power 
were members of one church; those belonging to the other 


“I Lied, I Lied!” 


209 


party were members of the other. They could have joined 
together for righteousness, but that was out of the question, 
for they would have been opposing the men of their party. 
They would have been called turncoats, mollycoddles, and 
other worse things. Better to let the young people be ruined; 
better to see them go to the dogs, than anything like that. It 
is much easier to blame the young people for being godless, 
wild, of no account, hopeless, but the day will come in such 
communities when the parents and older people will find 
out that they are the wild, lazy, indifferent, godless bearers 
of these crimes against Christian civilization. 

There seemed to be only one thing that James could do to 
remedy this condition. He would have to break up the 
power of Collins and his supporters. To do this he found 
that he would have to work from the inside. Therefore he 
enlisted the support of Whaley, thus proving that he had a 
great ability as an organizer. For this he was much criti¬ 
cised by many, who believed that Whaley had been a sup¬ 
porter of the conditions which James wanted to remove. 
But James saw that he was killing two birds with the same 
stone. He would be destroying the sting of his greatest 
enemy, and he would be breaking the force of his opponent 
at home. In this way he was able to accuse the Mayor of 
embezzlement of public money, and dismissed, or forced him 
to resign on condition that James did not mention the crime 
to the public. This James readily promised on another con¬ 
dition : that the Mayor never enter politics again. 

During his experiences at Annapolis, James knew that to 
accomplish his greatest desire he must be elected in the place 
of Collins who was at Washington as senator. He also 
knew that there were many a step between him and that goal ,* 
yet there lay his crowning chance to serve the people of 
Maryland and the Nation. By receiving the support of 
Whaley and his friends he knew that he had effectively 
closed the mouth through which much of that which was 


210 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


false concerning him had issued. He also trusted in his 
ability to explain the motive, on this ground, to his staunch 
supporters who seemed to oppose this part of his plan. 

In this he had judged and acted rightly. The support of 
Whaley gave him the power that he needed and his next step 
was to the Governor’s chair. Those who remember that ex¬ 
citing campaign—and there are many still living who took 
part in it—will be able to recall that Purnell swept the State 
by proclaiming that all school books would be free if he were 
elected. Now if a man believes that he will get something 
free he will do almost anything that is asked of him; for he 
does not always see that the thing is impossible without in¬ 
creased cost to him through taxes. The common people get 
nothing but what they pay for, yet the more they pay, the 
more advantages they will have. Because this plan worked, 
Purnell became Maryland’s Executive, thereby enabling him 
to give his State a wonderful administration, although he 
was the youngest governor who had ever been elected. All 
public schools were made free, with free books and sup¬ 
plies. Besides this he laid the foundation for Maryland’s 
system of good roads by building many miles of them while 
in office. This enabled Maryland to lead all the other states 
in the development of fine roads. 

This new position also required James to move his family 
to the old town of Annapolis. Here he lived in the Executive 
Mansion, with his wife and his adopted daughter. His wife 
seemed to be reconciled to her life as the wife of a politi¬ 
cian, for it was more than she ever expected to be. It even 
surpassed anything that her mother had planned for her. 
Even then she objected strenuously to this plan of his to 
take Kitty with them; but when she found that at Annapolis 
the girl would be known not as Kitty Fodders, the foundling, 
but Katherine, the Governor’s daughter, she made no fur¬ 
ther objections. 

Indeed it was a fine thing that he was able to do this. He 


“I Lied, I Lied!” 


211 


had not been Governor for more than three years, when a 
very grievous blow fell upon him. In the midst of his busy 
planning and executing his duties the hand of death fell upon 
his family, removing his wife from him. It was a hard 
blow, for he was devoted to her in spite of her nature. His 
wife was indebted to his character, and to Mrs. Ward, for 
this devotion. James was one of those men, who, having 
once set their affections upon the woman of their choice, 
never change; therefore his character would not permit him 
to become discouraged or dissatisfied for very long. Then 
his friendship with Mrs. Ward permitted her to smooth over 
many rough, unpleasant places in his married life. 

On one occasion, when Nellie had been severely critical 
and James had gone to his mother, he found Mrs. Ward in 
her usual place by the fireplace. He had told his mother part 
of the trouble—there were some things he could not tell 
even to his mother—while Mrs. Ward continued to hold her 
head cocked to one side, while she nodded assent from time 
to time. When he had finished she said, “James, do not mis¬ 
understand your wife, nor allow her to misunderstand you. 
Some say different, but I know that she is not well. Trivial 
mistakes sometimes blight the blossoms of love before they 
are half grown; love dies because a young husband is de¬ 
termined, or because a young wife is selfish and stubborn, 
when she does not understand her condition. Give her time 
to grow. She has been petted too much; but not by the right 
people. A husband must never fail to pet his wife if he 
wishes to overcome her caprices and foolish notions. But he 
must be firm in his own convictions at the same time; it is 
the only way. A woman hates a man whose opinions are like 
the pendulum of the clock. She likes to know what to ex¬ 
pect of her husband, even if it is not what she might like. 
Determined persuasion will not work; the same methods that 
were used before marriage must be continued after marriage. 
Then like results will be accomplished.” 


212 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


James replied, “Miss Anne, I never heard such philosophy 
from you before. I was expecting some more of your cures 
or superstitions, but you have spoken what I believe to be 
wisdom.” 

“Ain’t my superstitions wisdom? I don’t know what you 
would call them if they ain’t.” 

“But what you have been saying is so much more practi¬ 
cal.” 

“It was learned in the school of experience; that school 
what costs more than any other, honey.” 

James realized the value of this advice. Knowing the na¬ 
ture of his wife as he did, he felt that what Mrs. Ward had 
said was true. He returned to Nellie, asked her forgiveness 
and resolved to be more patient with her in the future. He 
never regretted that resolution, nor the efforts it took to keep 
it. After that day he never mentioned economy, he never 
talked of work or wages; he never spoke to her of Kitty 
Fodders until after he was elected Governor, and was plan¬ 
ning to remove to Annapolis, for he knew that if he did his 
wife would call her mother, and his resolution would go to 
destruction. She always stopped him from talking of practi¬ 
cal things by losing her breath, and by calling her mother. 
She never permitted him to reason with her or to be serious 
about business affairs. 

Since becoming the mistress of the Governor’s Mansion at 
Annapolis, Nellie had seemed more happy. She had no cares 
whatever, for they were successfully administered by the 
housekeeper. She did have many social duties, however; and 
it must be admitted that, with her mother’s help, which she 
had nearly always, for her mother spent the most of her 
time at Annapolis now, she became noted as an entertainer 
of entertainers, a hostess of noted hostesses. 

It was after one of the many social affairs had been held at 
the Governor’s Mansion that she demonstrated to James the 
happiness that she seemed to enjoy as the first lady of the 


“I Lied, I Lied!” 


213 


State. The Governor had waited until the last guest had re¬ 
tired; then he entered his private office in order to attend to 
some very important matters of state. A bill had been passed 
by the State legislature to permit a railroad company to build 
a branch line of tracks from Harrington, Delaware, to a new 
terminal at Franklin City, in Virginia. It was necessary for 
him to sign the bill that night or it would not become official. 
He especially favored the bill because it would permit the 
railroad to pass through his county and home town. It would 
give an outlet over land to the people along the coast in Dela¬ 
ware and Maryland. As the Governor seated himself at his 
desk he heard the soft rustle of satin; then the voice of his 
wife, who very seldom entered that office. She stepped up 
behind his chair, placed her arms around his neck, and said: 
“Governor James, I am very happy tonight; are you?” 

“I am glad to hear that, Nellie; I hope you will always be.” 

“There is one thing that will make me the happiest woman 
in the State of Maryland.” 

“What is that, honey ? ” 

“Just let me sign my name and yours to that bill giving 
our county a railroad.” 

“There it is, honey; sign it,” he said jokingly, as he handed 
her the newly passed bill. 

She reached for the pen, but he stayed her arm gently. 
“You can’t do that, Nellie; the bill would not be accepted. 
They would believe it to be a forgery,” he explained. 

But her resolution seemed as iron. She was desperately 
determined to do it. When he would not permit it she ac¬ 
cused him of being unfair, dishonest because he had told her 
that she could sign it. She accused him of not loving her, 
of neglecting her, and of desiring to make her unhappy. He 
thought she was about to lapse into one of those breath¬ 
less states again; but he was thankful that for once her 
mother was out of range of her calls. Nellie actually called 
for her mother, perhaps out of habit, but that lady happened 


214 The Gentleman From Maryland 

to be spending the night at Baltimore. Then he said, “I’ll tell 
you what we’ll do; you dip the pen in the ink, then place 
your hand upon mine, and we’ll sign it together. This she 
did, and it seemed to satisfy her. At the time he thought 
that the absence of her mother contributed greatly to her 
quiet acquiescence. But that proved to be her last official act; 
she became so sick that night that James sent for her mother 
to return from Baltimore, and for Mrs. Ward to hurry from 
Snow Hill. Although there were many good nurses nearer 
that he could have engaged, he felt that their old nurse would 
be more acceptable than a stranger. 

She lingered upon her bed very quietly for several days; 
then the State was greatly bereaved by the death of the young 
wife of its Governor. Mrs. Ward felt that she had not been 
of much use, but was very well pleased that they had sent 
for her. She was able to aid James in many ways that a 
stranger would not have thought of, and the whole of the ar¬ 
rangements that could be attended to only by a woman de¬ 
volved upon her. Nellie’s mother resigned all of these into 
her hands. Although the occasion of her visit was a most 
sad one the old friend never tired of talking of the time that 
she had stayed at the Governor’s Mansion at “Annapalas” 
with “Guverner Jim.” 


CHAPTER XVIII 


THE GOVERNOR’S BEREAVEMENT 

The death of his wife was a great bereavement to the 
Governor. As he bent beneath his sorrow no amount of 
energy that he might put into his work seemed to efface, in 
the least, his memory of the last few days spent with her; 
those days that seemed for such suffering; that they were 
the first of their married life during which she relied en¬ 
tirely upon his strength. While he sat upon the edge of her 
bed, with her hand in his, and her pleading eyes looking up 
in his, she said, “My Governor, have you ever been sorry 
that you married me?” 

“It is foolish for you to ask that,” he answered, tenderly, 
“why such a question ? ” 

“Because I know that I have failed to help you; while 
another seemed always to be able to aid you at all times.” 

“Of whom are you speaking now, Nellie? ” 

“Of Jane Riddle, of course. If I only had her nature. If 
I could have known her as you have, perhaps I could have 
learned from her.” 

“Jane has always been a sister to me. Ever since I saved 
her life from the river she has taken a deep interest in my 
affairs. She always made me feel that I was welcome; that 
she loved me as a brother; but I loved you many years before 
I knew her, you know, and she knew it too.” 

“Yet, James, I cannot help but feel that we should have 
forgotten each other after you saved her. I did not deserve 
your love, anyhow. If you had turned your love toward her 
I believe our lives would both have been more satisfactory.” 

“How can you say that, Nellie dearest? You are sick now, 


216 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


and naturally despondent. Wait until you are well; then we 
will talk this over.” 

“No, James, I will have no other chance to say what I 
have wanted to say for a long time. I never desired you to 
act differently toward me, although I have felt many times 
that it would have been better. I always loved you, even 
when I censured myself of not having the strength to act 
differently toward you.” 

“Do you think, Nellie, that I desired things to be different? 
What is that to me, when I had my choice and chose you ? ” 

“Sometimes you called me little silly, James, and I know I 
was; even though I did not want to believe it. I knew, too, 
that you were not in earnest; yet I knew you might have 
been. Now I am going to be silly again.” A quiet smile 
spread over her countenance. 

“Be as silly as you please, Nellie, I will never think you 
are.” 

“Then don’t think me unreasonable when I say that I want 
to see Jane. I have often wished to see her, but I envied 
her every minute she was with you. I did not want her near 
you. Now I know that she could have become a great friend 
to me as well as you. I want to see her now; I want to tell 
her so, myself.” 

“Then I will send for her.” 

“Please do, as soon as possible.” 

“I shall do so this night; now if you wish.” 

“I do wish it James; I am so anxious to see her. I believe 
I did both of you a great wrong by marrying you. I should 
have stayed single. Then I could have always been your 
sister.” 

“Don’t say that Nellie. We have always been happy. 
Don’t tell her that, for she would not like to hear you talk 

tt 

so. 

“God knows that I have been happy, James, too happy. 


The Governor's Bereavement 


217 


Now you go to your office, Governor, and I will try to sleep 
awhile; but I hope Jane comes very soon.” 

“As soon as we can get her here,” he said, as he went out 
to send the message. 

He retired to his office feeling that her words had been a 
mild reproach; although he knew that his wife did not mean 
them to be. He also felt that she was very sick. He tried to 
convince her mother that she was sick, but that lady con¬ 
tinued her social activities, feeling that it was more impor¬ 
tant to return visits than to spend the time by the bedside of 
her sick daugher, who had sent for another in order that she 
might have a sympathetic woman with her. Mrs. Bratten 
was having the time of her life. James lost no time in de¬ 
spatching a message to Jane. 

When he returned to his wife’s room she seemed to be 
sleeping restlessly; but as he bent over her she opened her 
eyes and inquired, “Have you sent the message ? ” 

“Yes, I have sent it; and I hope that her coming might 
speed your recovery.” 

“I am afraid nothing can do that. Oh, James, I do not 
want to leave you; yet I may leave a better memory by go¬ 
ing now than if many more years were spared me, for then 
I might undo what I have attempted to do.” 

James could stand it no longer. Feeling that she would 
rest better without him, he went to the next room; but not 
to sleep. He heard every move that she made and was 
often at her bedside during the night. Mrs. Ward re¬ 
mained with Nellie with orders from James not to say a 
word to his wife. Toward morning she seemed to sleep 
more peacefully, and Mrs. Ward retired for her rest. Dur¬ 
ing the following days James continued near her throughout 
the day and night. 

On the third day from the time James sent the message 
Jane arrived. As it was late when she reached the Mansion 
she thought it the best policy not to see Nellie until the next 


218 The Gentleman From Maryland 

day. She was also very tired from her journey, for a rail¬ 
road trip at that time was not as pleasant as one of the 
same distance to-day. Travelers of to-day do not appreci¬ 
ate the comforts that are theirs unless they are acquainted 
with the discomforts and inconveniences of thirty years ago. 

The next morning James told his wife that Jane had ar¬ 
rived. She was very anxious to see her. She hardly gave 
her time to get anything to eat before she was calling for 
her. When Jane came in Nellie clung to her as to a long 
lost friend, for she was not satisfied to permit her to leave 
the room during the entire day. Mrs. Bratten came and 
went as usual; but Jane remained by the invalid’s bedside. 

That night, however, all became much alarmed at the 
change that seemed to take place in the demeanor of Nellie. 
Even her mother now became worried. Jane’s arrival seemed 
to be the one event for which Nellie had waited. About ten 
o’clock that night Nellie asked all to leave the room except 
Jane. “I want to talk to her alone,” she stated. The rest 
went below leaving the two alone for nearly an hour. 

At the expiration of that time Jane entered the room, her 
face full of speechless grief, while the tears seemed to force 
their way from her eyes. James realized the meaning of her 
sympathetic appeal. “Oh, Jane,” he cried, and with a few 
bounds he was up the stairs. 

It was as he had feared. His wife was peacefully breath¬ 
ing her last breaths. He fell upon her bed and wept as a 
man weeps but once or twice in his life. Misunderstood by 
all, perhaps even by her husband sometimes, she had found 
quiet rest while the presence of Jane, who seemed able to 
aid everyone, was with her. And her quiet ways and de¬ 
meanor, her wise counsel, seemed to guide all within that 
Mansion during the days that followed. The mother, who 
had reigned supreme when she was there, was prostrated 
with grief and unable to attend to anything. Mrs. Ward 
volunteered to look after the household affairs, and Jane ef- 


The Governor's Bereavement 


219 


fectively and quietly despatched the social duties. She an¬ 
swered many letters and messages; she received numerous 
callers; she cared for Katherine, who was now old enough 
to know what had happened, and who had learned to love 
Nellie. But the child would not allow Mrs. Bratten to touch 
her. The Mother seemed to turn toward Katherine as a 
second daughter; but her harsh treatment and words had 
alienated the affections of the child. Now when she wanted 
her she could not appeal to Katherine in any way. When 
Jane sat down the child clung to her; when she moved about 
the house Katherine followed closely, begging to be led or 
carried. Thus kindness and unkindness often reap their 
rewards. 

After the Governor had returned to Annapolis from the 
funeral, which was held at Snow Hill, he found great con¬ 
solation in the presence of his adopted daughter. She kept 
him from many heavy political duties for hours at a time, 
but he seemed never to care. He told her many stories, drew 
pictures for her, and listened, with great pleasure to childish 
prattle. Many a man’s deepest sorrows have been bridged 
by the presence of a child. James was then very glad that he 
had adopted her; she had proved the God send that he 
wished. In his hours of loneliness, when he remembered his 
trials, he would go to the sleeping child; and while he bent 
over the bed he would say, with religious fervor, “Surely 
God is in this place, and I am not alone.” On one of these 
occasions, he thought of the time Christ experienced great 
sorrow; when He took up the little child in His divine arms, 
and when he had blessed it he said, “Suffer the little children 
to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the 
kingdom of heaven.” He, once the country boy, now the 
Governor of his State; once the accused thief, now the re¬ 
spected chief executive, asked in all earnestness, “Why can¬ 
not the world accept the kingdom as little children ? ” In 
that acceptance alone lies our eternal safety. 


220 The Gentleman From Maryland 

Have you ever thought why it is that people like company ? 
Work or play is not enjoyed unless there is someone near 
who talks; and men dislike to be left alone for very long at 
a time. Men have been made alike; made human, and 
they are fond of company. Men like to be with people; to¬ 
day we seldom hear of hermits. Men are all children to 
each other; grown up children. Because this is so, men are 
influenced by each other’s company. The other may still 
be a child, but the fact remains even then. 

There is an immense amount of sympathy that we un¬ 
consciously ask others to give us. The child who is hurt is 
quickly satisfied by a few words of sympathy and a kiss or 
two; and so is the grown-up child. When in trouble man 
wants to talk over it to someone; he expects sympathy; he 
generally gets it. But the danger lies in the fact that we 
may become burden givers, rather than burden bearers, if 
we very often seek the precious gift of sympathy; it ought 
not to be bought or asked at the cost of another’s peace. 
When we go to the child in sympathy this danger does not 
exist. 

The burdens of a governor must be borne by him. The 
burdens that James bore were many and heavy. He often 
said that the presence of the child, Katherine, enabled him 
to face the hardest tasks with a lighter heart and a clearer 
brain. Especially at his meals did he enjoy her company. 

On one of these occasions the Rev. Mr. McMaster was 
dining with him and Katherine. The child was installed in 
the place of honor at the table, from which she executed her 
will like a little queen. During the course of the meal the 
child looked at the minister and said, “Why don’t you dwess 
like Gidinon? ” 

“Who,” asked the minister. 

“Gidinon,” the child persisted. 

“Who, who?” 


The Governor's Bereavement 


221 


“That's what the owl says," she laughed. “Your feet 
won’t stay on a limb; you’re no owl.’’ 

The minister laughed heartily, but James was much em¬ 
barrassed, until his old friend remarked, “Don’t mind that, 
I want to get to the bottom of this.’’ Then he spoke again 
to the child. 

“Katherine, where did you hear of Gidinon, honey ? ’’ 

“Gidinon, the man of the Bible.’’ 

“Oh, you mean Gideon, don’t you; why, how does he 
dress ? ’’ 

“Why he wears a towel wrapped around his head, and an 
old rag for a dress.’’ 

The minister was much amused at her description. “Men 
don’t dress like that to-day; it’s not the fashion. Does Daddy 
Jim ever talk to you about the fashions? ’’ 

“Daddy says men don’t care for fashions like the women 
do, but I believe you do. I’m not going to worry either, I’m 
going to be governor when I get big.’’ 

Sometime after this James and his little daughter were 
enjoying an old-fashioned Southern dinner of corn bread 
and molasses, when she said, “My, this ’lasses is ’liscious.’’ 
Then she looked through the window for a few moments 
while she watched the heavy rain storm in silence. Turning 
suddenly to the Governor she solemnly asked, “Daddy, who 
sends the rain ? ’’ 

“God does, honey.’’ 

“The whole expanse is covered with God’s tears; he must 
be very sad at the ways of men.’’ 

“Who told you that, Kitty? ’’ Sometimes James called her 
Kitty as a pet name, but he did not permit others to do so. 

“God told me while I was looking out the window.’’ 

Sometimes the Governor had to devise means of punish¬ 
ment for the mischievous elf. Although he controlled the 
State police and the Militia he could hardly turn her over 
to them. On one occasion he threatened to put her in a 


222 The Gentleman From Maryland 

closet; but she pleaded, “The devil is in that closet; don’t 
put me in there; the devil is in there.” He laughed at this, 
but dismissed that mode of punishment from his mind for 
all time. 

The Governor very seldom permitted Katherine in his 
private office, but one day the little son of his private secre¬ 
tary was playing with Katherine. They came into the 
office while James was very busy. After a short time he 
turned to ask them to play somewhere else when he was 
struck at what he heard her saying. They were looking at 
a picture of a group of chickens in a small story book. 

Her little companion said, “Them chickens is ripe.” 

“No they’re not ripe, else they’d be growing on bushes,” 
she answered. 

The Governor stopped his work to listen for a while. 
Then he heard her say: 

“You’re vewy wicked an’ bad. Mr. Master preaches to 
bad people. I’m going to preach to you.” She climbed 
upon a chair, and began. “When you’re good, you go to 
Heaven where your Father is, God you know.” She then 
suddenly turned to the boy, and said, “Old man, stick your 
shirt tail in.” When she said that, James burst into a loud 
laugh, thus breaking up the service. He had begun to think 
that in taking Mrs. Ward’s advice about the baby when he 
received her, that he had done her a favor. The next morn¬ 
ing after he took the baby home, Mrs. Ward came to see it. 

“Now honey,” she said, “You take this baby upstairs to 
the garret, before you take it out of the house again. That 
will make it high-minded. Then as soon as the weather is 
good, take her out to the fields, find a running brier that is 
fastened to the ground by both ends, put the child under it, 
and she will never have diphtheria. Don’t cut her hair until 
she is a year old; never put her dresses on over her head, or 
you will be shrouding her; never measure her, or you will 


The Governor's Bereavement 


223 


be measuring the length of her coffin; and never let her see 
in a looking glass, or she will die. ,, 

“Well, Miss Anne,” he had answered, “I will try to do 
as you say.” 

During the term of Governor Purnell he succeeded in 
having built many of the roads of Maryland. A few years 
later his state led all the rest in building hard roads. Two 
railroads were also constructed: one from Harrington, Dela¬ 
ware, to Franklin City, Virginia; the other from Claiborne, 
on the Chesapeake Bay, to Ocean City on the Atlantic 
Ocean. These roads opened an era of great prosperity for 
the people of the sea-side of the Eastern Shore Peninsula, 
and Purnell’s further usefulness as a public servant was fully 
assured. 

The Virginia branch, beginning at Harrington, was a sin¬ 
gle track road, which created much discussion on Chinco- 
teague Island. There are, to this day, many old people who 
have not seen any other land except that of the island, for 
they have never been off the place. All that they knew or 
saw were fish and boats and oysters. Some of these older 
people, at the time of the beginning of this railroad, were 
very anxious to know how two trains passed each other on 
one track. They had been told many tales about it that they 
did not believe even in their ignorance. The discussion con¬ 
tinued until, finally, an old citizen, about seventy-five, volun¬ 
teered to cross to the main-land, and find out for them. 

“Boys,” said he, “I have never been off this island; and I 
have often said that I never would go; but I’m a goin’ t’ 
see how them blamed trains pass each other.” And he did. 
He crossed to Franklin City, where he watched in great 
astonishment, as the huge iron monster crept to the very 
edge of the water, unloaded its human freight, and slowly 
backed on the “Y.” 

While that train stood there, a freight train pulled up to 
the station, thus obstructing the old man’s view of the pas- 


224 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


senger train. In a few minutes he saw that train speeding 
up the track on its return journey to Philadelphia. A train¬ 
man explained the operation to the satisfaction of the amazed 
islander. 

“Well, if that don’t beat me all holler,” he said. “I never 
seen anything like that in all my life. I couldn’t tell to save 
my life how it was done.” He then boarded the boat for the 
island home, where he would be the hero of his companions 
who were anxious to know the truth about “Them darned 
things.” 

It is on this island that there lives a notable character by 
the name of Captain Jack Truitt. He has been the captain 
of an oyster smack for many years, and is noted, not for any 
especial service that he has done for humanity, but for the 
enormous amount that he can eat. A story of this com¬ 
munity would not be considered well written unless there 
was some mention of the great eater of Chincoteague Island. 
But my readers will doubt what I tell them, until they come 
to this place in order to see this man, for he is still living 
and working. 

There were several salesmen stopping at the hotel at 
Franklin City who had heard that this captain had eaten a 
barrel of oysters. These men did not believe it, but were 
told that it was the truth. Truitt had placed a barrel of 
oysters on the freight platform on which he had piled three 
hundred clams. Into this barrel he put a hose after con¬ 
necting it to a freight engine, then got the engineer to turn 
on the steam. In this way he steamed the oysters and clams 
by one operation. Then he poured the contents of the bar¬ 
rel upon the platform, took his knife, and proceeded to eat 
everyone of them. These salesmen were not inclined to be¬ 
lieve this story; but in the morning they had proof sufficient 
to convince them. When they came down to breakfast they 
found on the table a meal prepared for the eight salesmen 
and the captain, who had decided to stay at the hotel that 


The Governor's Bereavement 


225 


night. When they had sat down to the table the capain re¬ 
marked that there was only enough there for one good man 
and dared them to touch any of it. Being strangers, these 
men did not eat anything, but waited until the captain got 
enough. They were disappointed, however, for he never 
got enough. He ate the entire breakfast, walked into the 
kitchen, and finished all that there was there. The hungry 
salesmen went without breakfast until they reached Stock- 
ton where they related what had happened. 

During one of the captain’s trips after oysters his crew 
brought with them provisions for several days, as they 
thought. Among these supplies they had brought eight fried 
chickens, expecting to fare well on that trip at least. But to 
their astonishment, when they awakened in the morning, 
they found that Truitt had eaten every piece of chicken dur¬ 
ing the night, and their hopes were ended. When the cap¬ 
tain returned from this trip, which lasted about three days, 
he told his wife that he had not gotten enough to eat, and 
was very hungry. The truth of the matter was that his men 
refused to cook for him, and he was too lazy to do it for 
himself. He asked his wife if there was anything in the 
house to eat. Not waiting for her answer, he went to the 
pantry where he found a pan of eggs. His wife told him that 
she had gotten two dozen and a half of eggs from a neighbor 
that day in order to set under two hens that were upon the 
nests. 

“Don’t take my setting eggs,” she begged. 

“I’m hungry, and I want a omelet,” answered the captain. 

“You will get it yourself, then,” was his wife’s answer. 

The captain was undaunted by this reply. Hastily break¬ 
ing the eggs into a large pan, he soon had an omelet made of 
the whole lot. It was a very short time until her “two set- 
ings” of eggs had disappeared. 

He has been known to devour fifteen pounds of drum fish, 
twelve pounds of roast beef, and other meats in the same 


226 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


proportion. He eats the smaller species of fish by the dozen, 
never stopping to remove any of the bones, except the head 
and back-bone. His wife, getting tired of cooking for him, 
forced him to eat at the hotel, where he pays double the 
amount of board that is charged an ordinary boarder. Be¬ 
sides this peculiar trait of character Captain Truitt has an¬ 
other. He will never enter a door except his own and the 
door of the hotel. When he visits his neighbors he calls 
them out of the house while he talks to them. When he 
goes to church, which is very seldom, he stands at the win¬ 
dow in order to hear the sermon. He attends many funerals, 
but never has been known to enter the houses. Even on 
occasions when he has been selected as pall-bearer, he never 
touches the casket until it is brought out of the house. 

The opening of the Shore railroad was celebrated by an 
excursion, which was advertised extensively throughout the 
region south of Philadelphia, and Baltimore. In this ad¬ 
vertisement there was a description of Captain Truitt as 
one of the characters to be seen. The Captain did not think 
much of this, and stayed out of sight until some of the rail¬ 
road officials persuaded him to appear. This he did after be¬ 
ing given permission by the officials to run his boat as an ex¬ 
cursion boat to Chincoteague Island. In this way he was 
well paid for his appearance as the famous eater. Franklin 
City was called the “New Summer Resort” on the Chinco¬ 
teague Bay that had just been opened, and about nine hun¬ 
dred excursionists came from the near-by cities in order to 
spend a sultry day of Summer at the seashore. When they 
arrived they were a group of disgruntled, disappointed, hot 
men and women, for there was nothing to see but water and 
marsh. Besides this the tide had come in, making it im¬ 
possible to walk anywhere without walking in black, slimy, 
oyster mud. They could buy nothing to eat but cheese and 
crackers, which were sold at the one small store in the place, 
and to add to their pleasures they became the prey of myri- 


The Governor's Bereavement 


227 


ads of mosquitoes that infest the vast marshes and tide-water 
flats of this region. The only thing that remained to do was 
to take a boat ride to Chincoteague on the boat of Captain 
Truitt. Many of them took advantage of this diversion to 
spend the day until the train left for the cities. 

It happened that there was a “pony penning” on the 
island that day. Such an event was held once every year, at 
which time the beach ponies were rounded up, in the same 
manner that westerners round up their cattle or horses in 
the Spring. The small, hardy, beach pony is allowed to graze 
and become fat upon the thick marsh grass that grows in 
abundance in this region, during the Fall and Winter. Every 
man brands his stock before they are turned out to pasture; 
then in the Spring a large pen is placed near the town of 
Chincoteague. The boys, some on horses, some on foot, 
form a line around the marshes of the island, from which 
they drive the horses and cattle that have escaped the many 
quagmires and bottomless pits of the marsh, into this pen, 
where the largest and finest beasts are separated from the 
rest, for immediate sale and use. The rest are allowed to 
go free for another year. These “pennings” would appear 
tame as compared by a westerner to the round-up of the 
plains; but they afford great fun for the inhabitants of the 
island, and for many other people who go there to see the 
penning. A great many of these ponies find homes in the 
neighboring states where they are used for riding and driv¬ 
ing horses. Of course a great many of the visitors from a 
distance go there in order to buy the ponies. 

These pennings are generally held on the first Wednesday 
in August of each year. On this day thousands of the 
farmers, and many residents of the towns, gather at a red 
bank of sand, on which there are many pine trees, which is 
called Red Hills. This pleasant place is just across the Chin¬ 
coteague Bay from the island, and affords a fine place to 
bathe, as there is a long, sloping beach of sand, although cut 


228 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


off from the strong breakers of the ocean by the island. 
From early in the morning until the evening teams might be 
seen on their way to Red Hills, where friends and relatives 
spread a bountiful meal of many different foods, the most 
important of which is fried spring chicken. Everybody is 
given a cordial invitation to join, for there is always a great 
quantity left, which these good housekeepers do not like to 
“carry” home, if there is anyone to eat it. Many of these 
people also cross the Bay in order to see the ponies caught. 

Mrs. Ward never failed to attend this gathering of people 
at Red Hills. For several days before she made her plans to 
take the whole family with her, and the rest of the family 
looked forward to the first Wednesday in August with great 
anticipation. The children especially enjoyed it, for it meant 
that they could put on an old lot of clothing, and spend the 
entire day in the water. One year Mrs. Ward had planned 
to go with a neighbor, who came past her house a little 
earlier than she expected. Of course her children were 
ready, but Mrs. Ward had not fried her indispensable 
chicken. The neighbor was in a hurry, and she did not want 
to miss the trip, therefore she heated several bricks in the 
oven while she changed her dress, placed the partly cooked 
chicken, with the hot bricks, in the back of the carriage, and 
went on her way rejoicing. 

After she arrived at Red Hills she took out her dinner, 
during which process the excited children pointed out to her 
several of her friends. “I hain’t time t’ look now, children. 
Waver at them and tell them to come here.” 

The children “wavered” as they were bid, and in a short 
time there were several women talking excitedly to their old 
friend, who told them all about her new fireless cooker. 

“I was in a hurry, so I put these bricks and chicken in the 
back of the carriage together, and it sputtered and crackled 
all the way to Red Hills, and when I got here it was fried as 
brown as a berry.” No one seemed to dipute her word, for 


The Governor's Bereavement 


229 


it was not long disappearing into the mouths of several 
hungry children who had made the trip for that express 
purpose. 


CHAPTER XIX 


AN EASTERN SHORE “ROUND-UP” 

It was to one of these gatherings that Katherine went 
with her father for the first time when she was fourteen 
years old. James had spent two hard but happy terms as 
Governor of his State, but was then living a quiet life at the 
Covington House in Snow Hill, before he began his campaign 
the United States Senator from Maryland. Katherine was a 
great lover of horses and could always be found where they 
were. When she heard of the penning at Chincoteague she 
expressed a desire to cross to the island in order to see it. 
James readily agreed to go with her, for it had been some 
time since he had seen a penning. During the sale that fol¬ 
lowed, Katherine expressed a wish to have one of these 
ponies. Her father was talking to a friend at the time, but 
Walter Whaley, who was talking to Katherine at the time, 
said, “If you want one, you shall have it.” 

There was a very fine one being sold at that time. Walter 
stepped closer to the auctioneer, joined the bidding, and soon 
became the owner of the pony, which he presented to Kath¬ 
erine on the spot. Her father objected, but Whaley pressed 
the gift upon the girl “For old time’s sake.” James could see 
no good reason for not allowing her to accept, therefore she 
became the owner of a fine riding horse. 

After Whaley had left them James said to her, “You 
should not have allowed him to buy the horse; you know 
that I would have been glad to have done so.” 

But the gift had been accepted, and was sent to the stables 
at Snow Hill. It was not long until she had learned to ride 
very well, for the pony proved to be comparatively gentle 


An Eastern Shore “ Round-Up ” 


231 


and tractable. She often took long rides through these 
southern counties, and even into Accomac. On many of 
these rides she was accompanied by Whaley, who seemed to 
have very little else to do, although he still was given work 
of a political nature by James, who desired to have his friend¬ 
ship in order to aid his own cause. Then, too, James thought 
that it was safer for Katherine to have some man along who 
could be her protector. As Whaley was many years her 
senior he was treated by her as another father, therefore 
proving a good protector. But many times some of the 
younger men would be seen with her. 

One of these young men who had become one of her 
favorite companions was the son of Howard and Rose Irvin, 
who still lived at the old Irvin home adjoining that of the 
Purnells. He had been born a few months after Katherine 
was found floating upon the mattress, therefore he was very 
nearly as old as Katherine. He was named for his grand¬ 
father, Clifton Irvin, Junior. Still another companion of her 
age, who accompanied her often, was John Mason, of Stock- 
ton. This young man was the grandson of R. E. Mason 
who had died at the home of Mrs. Purnell several years 
before the boy's birth. These two younger men were rivals 
for the affections of Katherine; they were both much pro¬ 
voked on those many occasions when she rode away with 
her older cavalier and protector. 

Before coming to Snow Hill to live again, this time in the 
Covington mansion, James had proved to the citizens of 
Maryland that they could place their trust in him; yet he 
came back somewhat disappointed, for he had not had an 
opportunity to fulfill his resolution concerning the important 
question that led him into politics; the question that was 
becoming the leading issue in many of the southern and 
western states of the Union. He saw that he must wait a 
better opportunity than he had ever had if he wished to 
deal a decisive blow to the liquor traffic which was enslaving 


232 The Gentleman From Maryland 

the brains of many more men than any other evil ever had. 
This opportunity, he felt, lay in the Senate of the United 
States. He therefore declared his intention of becoming a 
candidate for that high office. He knew that he would be 
defeated for governor that year, not because he had lost 
many of his adherents, but because his rival at the primaries, 
who lived in the western part of the state, and who had been 
defeated, had declared that he would not submit to the 
results of the primaries, but would become an independent. 
This would split the Democratic vote, resulting in a Repub¬ 
lican victory for the governorship. This foresightedness on 
the part of Purnell proved true, for that year a Republican 
was elected in Maryland for the first time in twenty years. 
Therefore he decided long before the election that it would 
be safer for him to take this opportunity of being elected a 
senator. 

A few days after James and his daughter arrived at Snow 
Hill a strange woman called to see him. She was ushered 
into the large drawing room to await the arrival of James, 
who was out in the town somewhere. When he returned he 
said that he had driven several miles out into the country in 
order to see one of his farms that was situated in that part 
of Nassawadox Forest where the Old Furnace stood. This 
property formerly belonged to the Princess Anne company 
which operated the Iron Furnace. The old furnace has an 
interesting history because it was one of the first industries 
of Worcester County. Some iron ore had been discovered 
there, the furnace had been built, but it never proved a 
success on account of the poor quality of the ore. The 
huge brick furnace is still standing. It remains one of the 
interesting spots of this romantic region. 

When Governor Purnell returned he entered the drawing 
room where the strange woman awaited him. She unsteadily 
arose to her feet and remained standing until he spoke to her. 
She seemed to have lost all power of speech. Her frail form 


An Eastern Shore “Round-Up” 


233 


and her emaciated face showed that she had been a sufferer; 
but her features clearly indicated that she had once been a 
beautiful woman. 

“What mission has brought you to me this day? If I can 
help you, do not hesitate to speak,” the Governor said. 

After a long hesitation, and several attempts at swallowing, 
she answered, “My mission is peculiar and may sound so 
unreasonable that you may not believe me. But whatever 
your decision hear me until I have finished my story.” 

“I assure you of that; speak without any fear.” 

“You will be surprised then, when I say that today I 
have seen my long lost daughter.” 

Her voice was low, soft, and distinct. He was surprised 
at the mode of language that he heard from such a poorly 
dressed woman. 

“Where do you mean that you saw her? I do not under¬ 
stand.” 

The Governor was becoming alarmed. 

“Sir, she is in this house; she met me at the door.” 

“Do you mean Katherine? Surely you are mistaken; I 
have had her for over fourteen years. She is a daughter to 
me. 

“I know it, Governor Purnell; over fourteen years ago I 
was ship-wrecked in Sinepuxent Bay. The sailors abandoned 
the ship during the night, they disappeared, I do not know 
where. I loved my baby, and feared for its life; so I stayed 
in the cabin, hoping and praying that we would be saved. 
Then the sea seemed to become calmer for a short time, and 
the idea came to me to save the baby by tying my darling 
to the captain’s mattress and letting her drift to land on the 
waves. After I let it float away I became so desperate that 
I was going to jump after it; but God saved me from doing 
that by sending a great wave that struck the boat, and threw 
my head against the side of the cabin with such force that 
I became unconscious. The next thing I knew several men 


234 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


were taking me to the hotel at Stockton, where I learned that 
my bady had been saved, and that you had taken it. I had 
nothing for her but sorrow and a hard life of toil, therefore 
I decided that you would give her a better home than I ever 
could, although it tore my heart to leave her and to disappear. 
I determined never to see her again; but several days ago I 
read in a Baltimore paper that you had come here to Snow 
Hill, and I just had to see my child again. It was the hunger 
of fourteen years that I had to satisfy. But she does not 
know me; I do not intend to make her unhappy in that way. 
Oh, Sir, forgive a mother for coming to see her daughter 
after such a long absence. ,, 

The Governor was much moved by her story. “I do 
forgive you; but what do you intend to do now that you 
have seen her? Will you take her from me? ” 

“No—Oh no, Sir—but you have a large house and much 
work to be done to keep it in order. Let me stay where I 
can see her every day; I will work for you as I have been 
working for others; then I can try to repay you for all 
that you have done for her. I promise that I will never tell 
a thing if you, in your turn will hire me and never ask to 
know more of my story.” 

“Woman, the day will come when you must tell if you 
live here; the day when she demands to know her origin I 
shall send her to you. She has already asked questions; I 
cannot always put her off with answers for children.” 

“When the time comes, Sir, I will tell you and her; but 
give me time; only allow me to stay where I can see her 
sometimes; where I can look after her if she learns to permit 
it. So help me God, I will never tell her anything until I 
have your permission.” 

The woman’s pleading seemed so sincere that he could not 
oppose her suggestion. 

“I believe you, woman, and I can keep my own counsel as 
well as any other. There is a good room in the western end 


An Eastern Shore “ Round-Up ” 235 

of the third story; you may take that. You can aid in keep¬ 
ing the house clean; but never a word about your relationship 
to the girl. Perhaps you can keep a motherly eye upon her; 
maybe you can give her some of that advice that only one 
woman may give another. Are you a Christian ? ” 

“I was once, and I have always tried to live as one.” 

“All right; she seems to be inclined to lean the other way; 
try to change her mind, but don't alienate her from your 
affections.” 

“Try to trust me, Governor Purnell, to do the right thing, 
even though I do not look very capable of doing it now.” 

The woman could hold back her tears no longer; she 
seemed to have spent all the energy she possessed during the 
interview, for she now cried unrestrainedly. After a few 
moments the Governor begged her to be calm. “Katherine 
may appear at any moment,” he said. 

He had hardly finished speaking when Katherine's voice 
was heard. When she came in James said, “Katherine, honey, 
this woman will live with us for the future as housekeeper. 
She is to have the western room of the third story. I hope 
you two will become good friends in a short time, for every 
home needs a white woman to look after things.” 

After saying this he left them alone, for he wished to be 
where he could think over her story. He did not doubt her 
story, for so much of it corresponded with what he already 
knew; but who was she ? And why did she desire to remain 
unknown ? 

These two questions occupied the mind of James for many 
days. No matter how closely he watched the woman as she 
moved about the house, he never seemed able to get any near¬ 
er the answer. There was something about her that seemed 
familiar; but he could find nothing that revealed any resem¬ 
blance to anyone that he knew, or had known. He had never 
spoken to her again, since the day she came to the house, 
concerning her life except once. He had asked her what she 


236 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


wished them to call her. She had answered, “Call me 
Marah, for my life has been very bitter. Yes, it is a Bible 
name, but it suits me just the same.” This answer revealed 
to James that she knew more about the Bible than many who 
were older than she. Many times after that James noticed 
how closely she watched him, and thought that she wished 
to speak. When he would look at her she would slowly shift 
her gaze and continue her work. He never gave her an 
opening to speak even had she desired it, either by reference 
or hint of any kind. He wished her to speak when she felt 
so inclined. To her face he and Katherine called her Marah; 
to others they spoke of her as Mrs. Marah. 

Mrs. Marah kept closely to the house, never leaving the 
place for any reason. It was inevitable that she would form 
a friendship with Mrs. Ward but she never went to her 
house; Mrs. Ward had to be satisfied to come to her. “I 
never go anywhere,” was her excuse whenever taken to task 
by her friend. When she wished anything down town she 
sent for it by Katherine or Israel Crippen, who now attended 
to the outside work for James. Israel and the other servants 
had no difficulty to remain on good terms with Mrs. Marah, 
but her manner toward them clearly proved to them that the 
new housekeeper did not belong to the servant class; there¬ 
fore they never asked her embarrassing questions, or took 
liberties with her. 

She had been at the Mansion only a few days when Mrs. 
Ward called to see her. During the visit, that lady, inquis¬ 
itive as usual, tried to “draw her out,” but failed completely. 
When telling a friend about the experience afterwards Mrs. 
Ward said, “I taken my sewing and pumped for over an 
hour, but it wahn’t no use; narry a word would she tell. Its 
a heap easier to do a whole day’s wash, an’ a right smart 
pleasanter, than to talk to a body like that. But you have 
to be sociable, you know, an’ I like her right smart, if she 
wouldn’t talk.” 


An Eastern Shore “ Round-Up ” 237 

After Mrs. Ward had failed to get Mrs. Marah to tell 
Her anything, she did the most of the talking without inter¬ 
ruption. She was always capable of doing that, for she had 
learned the town by heart. She could memorize what she 
heard very quickly, especially if it was about any of her 
neighbors. And when once memorized, she never failed to 
tell the whole story, adding a little here and there, until it 
was not much like the original. She always found out 
how a stranger considered “signs and wonders” as she 
called them. Therefore, she asked Mrs. Marah what her 
opinion of these things happened to be. 

“Do you believe in signs an’ wonders?” she asked Mrs. 
Marah. 

“What kind of signs and wonders ? ” 

“Why, the kind we see all around us.” 

“I don’t know much about such things.” 

“Well, I knew that I was goin’ to see a stranger the day 
you come for I had two signs of it. I saw a spider drop 
down from the wall, then go back ag’in; and I dropped my 
scissors, which stuck up in the floor. They are signs that a 
stranger is cornin’. I can always tell when I am going to 
have company, for my nose itches that mornin’. Then this 
mornin’ my right palm itched, so I knew that I would shake 
hands with a stranger. Now I have shook hands with you. 

“Then I knowed jest as well that Nellie Bratten was goin’ 
t’ die, for fore I turned the corner at the pos’offlce jes as a 
hearse passed me. I didn’t see it in time to go back, so I 
knowed that someone that I knowed would die. Then I 
listened for the bells in my ears, an’ every time my ear was 
turned Annapalas way that ear’s bells ’ud ring. I thought of 
Nellie right away. An’ the day I got Jim’s message to come 
quick, my foot itched all that mornin’ so I knowed that I 
would walk on strange ground. And it seemed that every 
piece of bread I picked up that day broke either in my hands, 
or a broken piece fell from my mouth, which is both sure 


238 The Gentleman From Maryland 

signs of death. I think there is lots of signs of what is 
goin’ to happen. Don’t you ? ” 

“Well, I never had much time to think about it.” 

“Now ain’t that queer. Why I could not get along without 
my cures. Yisterday Miss Richardson come to me to see if 
I could stop nose bleed. Her boy had nose bleed an’ she 
couldn’t stop it. I told her several ways to stop it, but she 
won’t remember any of them ’cause she don t try to 
remember them.” 

“Did the boy’s nose stop bleeding ? ” 

“Course it did. I told her to tie a string of red corn 
around his neck, an’ if that didn’t stop it put a bunch of keys 
down his back. Of course, if your nose bleeds on Monday 
you will have bad luck that week whether you stop it or not.” 

“Sometimes I have nightmare, or something like that, for I 
can’t sleep. How would you cure that ? ” 

“Well, to stop night sweats, just put a bucket of water 
under your bed, and to cure nightmare just get up and smell 
the heels of your stocking, or put your shoes up against the 
opposite wall of the room, and you can go to sleep.” 

“Do you really believe that a stocking will do that ? ” 

“I know it will, and a stocking will cure sore throat, 
too. If you tie a stocking, that has been worn, around your 
neck, and leave it there until it works itself off, the sore 
throat will disappear.” 

The visitor then got up to leave, but spied a pin lying on 
the floor. She picked it up because the point was toward 
her. She said, “It is good luck to pick up pins pointing 
toward you, but bad luck to pick them up if they point away 
from you.” 

“I never could think of all those things,” remarked Mrs. 
Marah. 

“Oh, yes you could,” the visitor said as she reached the 
door. “There, I forgot my thimble. I will have to set down 
awhile or I will cause you to have bad luck. If you start to 


239 


An Eastern Shore “Round-Up” 

leave a house, and have to return, always set down awhile 
longer.” 

She got outside the house this time, but Mrs. Marah 
noticed something on a string around her visitor’s neck, 
therefore she asked, “Is that a cure you have around your 
neck ? ” 

“Yes, I am troubled with the rooma-tizm, and I carry a 
nutmeg around my neck to keep it away. If it happens to be 
neuralgia, jest carry a potato in your inside pocket, and it 
will be cured.” 

“Come back again, Mrs. Ward,” her hostess invited. 

‘Til do that, but you better put that hairpin in your hair 
tight. If you lose it and are married, some one is telling a 
lie about you; but if you are single it is a sign that you will 
lose your sweetheart.” 

With that Mrs. Ward was gone. As she went down the 
street she was stopped by a friend who asked her if she 
would help her “kill hogs” that week. Mrs. Ward thought 
awhile, then answered, “Miss Joyce, I don’t mind helping 
you, but the signs ain’t right this week. The moon is de¬ 
creasing an’ your meat will shrink. You better wait ’till nex’ 
month. It will be only a few days.” 

As Mrs. Ward passed the drug store old Dr. Price, who 
was very fond of teasing her, remarked, “Well, friend, what 
kind of a winter will we have this year ? ” 

“A very bad one,” she snapped. 

“How do you know that?” 

“In many ways. If you watch you can see too. Yester¬ 
day I saw a hawg carrying straw in her mouth to make a 
bed; the corn has very thick shucks on them; there are plenty 
of persimmons on the trees; the animals have thick coats of 
fur; yesterday I saw a sun-dog around the sun; geese are 
flying near the land; squirrels are gathering plenty of nuts, 
and if you don’t watch out they will find you.” 

The old physician thought that was a great joke, for he 


240 The Gentleman From Maryland 

laughed heartily about it. But he never told it, because he 
knew that he would never hear the end of it. 


CHAPTER XX 


A MISSION OF SORROW 

While Mrs. Ward was telling Dr. Price the signs of bad 
weather they saw Walter Whaley ride by on his way to the 
Covington Mansion. He had promised to accompany Kath¬ 
erine on a canter to a near-by farm house where she had 
promised to call that day to see one of her friends who was 
sick. It was getting late, therefore Whaley, in his haste, 
nearly ran over Mrs. Ward who was standing in the street, 
while she talked to the doctor. Mrs. Ward quickly stepped 
out of the way, but refrained with difficulty from saying 
what she thought. She greatly resented the fact that Whaley 
was Katherine’s guardian on so many rides. She had even 
gone so far as to remonstrate with James, but without effect. 

This was also the one thing about the daily life at the 
Covington Mansion which Mrs. Marah seemed to resent. 
Whenever Katherine would start for a ride with either young 
Mason, of Stockton, or Irvin Jr., the older woman seemed 
not to worry, but whenever she would ride away with her 
older cavalier and protector the woman would go to her 
room, where she would remain until the girl returned. Upon 
one occasion, when Mrs. Marah had been there about two 
years, Katherine had planned to visit her friend Marjery 
Bundick, who lived at the famous old Wharton Mansion in 
Accomac county, Virginia. The two had ridden off alone, 
but unknown to Mrs. Marah, they had met several friends 
on the outskirts of the town. The party then started to 
the Wharton Mansion where they intended to spend the 
night. 

As they rode away Mrs. Marah went to her room, 


242 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


where she remained the remainder of the day, and her lamp, 
which burned during the entire night, showed that she kept 
an unsatisfied vigil during the dark hours, while she listened 
in vain for the canter of the horses on the graveled drive 
below her window. Katherine was always very kind to the 
woman, who seemed to desire to reward her by meeting her 
in the hall or at the door whenever she came from a ride 
into the country; then they would go to Katherine’s room 
where they would talk over the events of the day, just as 
any mother and daughter should. But this day Katherine 
had done her an injustice by not telling her that she would 
be gone all night. Imagine what must have been the thoughts 
of the mother concerning her child during that time. Several 
times she was on the point of going to James for informa¬ 
tion, but hesitated because she feared his displeasure. 

That visit proved to be a memorable one for Katherine, 
as other visits had proven to many who had been there before 
her. She had often heard of the Wharton Mansion with its 
romantic associations and ghostly compartments; now she 
was glad that she had the opportunity of seeing it. 

This Mansion is several miles from Parksley, near a small 
village called Modest Town. It stands on a small knoll over¬ 
looking the waters of the lower Chincoteague Bay, and the 
town of Chincoteague. It is an ideal spot for a home. The 
house was built during the Revolutionary war, of red brick 
brought from England as ballast. The type of architecture 
is like that of several other houses in this region, but it has 
been remodeled recently. It is two stories high, about three 
times as long as wide, having a porch across its entire length 
on the sea side. Visitors who approach the home come in 
from the back of the house, unless they come by water. They 
ascend several steps to a portico where they see a huge brass 
knocker, composed of a lion’s head and a heavy ring held in 
the grinning mouth of the lion. This knocker is closely 
guarded, for the majority of visitors from a distance have 


A Mission of Sorrow 


243 


tried to purchase it for large sums, but have failed to induce 
the owner to part with it. 

Upon entering the house a very wide hall is seen extending 
the entire width of the house. Several doors open from this 
hall which enter rooms for various purposes. There is also 
an alcove at one end of this hall where a magnificent stair¬ 
way and balustrade lead to the rooms above. 

One of these rooms on the second floor is noteworthy. 
On one side of this room there is a looking glass which 
extends from the floor to the ceiling and reaches from one 
corner to the other. There is also a long table in this room 
which is said to be the table around which Captain Wharton, 
who built the house, and his guests played cards. The Cap¬ 
tain always sat in the same chair facing the looking glass, 
in which he was able to see the cards of his opponent, with¬ 
out being suspected by the visitor. On the floor of this 
room may still be seen large stains of blood, which are be¬ 
lieved to be from slaves which he punished or murdered, or 
from some victims of his rage caused by reverses at gambling 
games. Perhaps the latter is the true explanation for the 
spots. Some victim at cards, who discovered his cause of 
ill-luck to be the looking glass, was thoughtless enough to 
complain, and surrendered his life for the mistake which he 
made. 

But the one thing that made the mansion famous is its 
secret passage which leads from the cellar to the banks of the 
nearby creek. This passage was used by the blockade run¬ 
ners during the Civil war. The small, unsuspicious craft 
sailed principally from Chincoteague and other nearby ports, 
as fishing vessels, but slowly and surely found their way up 
this creek to the mouth of the passage. Then the supplies 
were unloaded under cover of the darkness, were moved 
through this passage to the cellars of the house, from 
where they subsequently found their way to the Southern 
army. Other supplies were moved from southern Maryland 


244 The Gentleman From Maryland 

to this storehouse and were loaded on the boats at the mouth 
of this passage, from which they were taken to more south¬ 
ern points along the peninsula. 

Some of the fortunes that are being used by residents of 
these towns along the Virginia line were made by men who 
continued to transport supplies across the border. There 
seemed to be only one dangerous place along this route; 
namely, Swan’s Gut creek, about four miles south of Stock- 
ton. Although a few Union soldiers from this community 
kept the bridge that spans this creek, by destroying it as fast 
as it was rebuilt by the Virginians, they were not vigilant 
enough to stop wagons from fording the stream during the 
night. Many of these soldiers who lived along the border 
spent their nights at home, not caring what their neighbors 
were doing during the night. The war rested lightly upon 
their shoulders, anyhow. 

The night that Marjery Bundick gave her party to the 
young people they decided that they wanted to explore this 
famous passage. They were led by a brother of Marjery, 
who carried a lantern in front of the party. This lantern 
gave a very insufficient light for the ones at the back of the 
line, a fact that greatly pleased the boys, and perhaps the 
girls too, for they seemed to find it necessary to cling very 
close to their sturdy companions. Young Mason, with pre¬ 
meditated foresight, had placed himself by the side of Kath¬ 
erine, who immediately grasped his arm. On the return trip 
John so managed affairs that he and Katherine were the 
last of the group. Regardless of the danger of being de¬ 
tected, John, who was twenty years old, silently but impul¬ 
sively took Katherine in his arms, and declared his love 
for her. 

Katherine liked John very much, but was not prepared 
for what had happened. In an undertone she reasoned with 
him, trying to persuade him to say no more. But he would 
not listen; he begged her to promise to marry him. She was 


A Mission of Sorrow 


245 


saved from having to make a refusal by their reaching the 
house; but she had had a thrill that the horrors of the 
passage did not cause; a thrill that she did not forget. She 
had received her first kiss from a boy; she had also listened 
to her first proposal from the same boy. 

John Mason was not the kind that surrenders easily. 
During the coming months he often renewed that proposal, 
but was always put off by Katherine on the plea that she 
was too young. She was old enough, and wise enough, how¬ 
ever, to keep her own counsel. Perhaps, if she had had a 
mother with whom she could have talked, she would have 
received advice that might have saved her many future 
troubles. But she did not know that that mother was in the 
same house with her; a mother who was slowly dying be¬ 
cause of an unsatisfied desire to take her daughter to her 
heart, while they talked of the things that interest women to 
an especial degree. Katherine never mentioned her proposal 
to a soul. Some girls of our day seem to have a mania for 
leading boys to propose, in order to boast of the number of 
scalps that they have collected, while they laugh at and ridi¬ 
cule the victims to others. They seem not to be able to see 
the sacredness of a sincere proposal. It is little wonder that 
our courts are crowded by divorce proceedings. 

The next week after Katherine arrived home from Vir¬ 
ginia she surprised James Purnell by asking him the long 
expected question concerning her mother. While she had 
lived at Annapolis no one doubted that James was her father; 
but often after they returned to Snow Hill a thoughtless 
friend would speak of her parentage, thus wounding her 
greatly by stating that the Governor was not her father. 

“Why do you wish to know, daughter?” was James' 
answer. 

“Because,” said she, “I want to know my right name. I 
don’t mind bearing your name, in fact I hold it an honor 
after what you have done for me, daddy, but who was my 


246 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


mother. That still remains a mystery that I believe you 
know about. Somebody must know about it.” 

“I have expected this for some time, Katherine, yet I be¬ 
lieved that we would be happier if you never sought to 
know. Someone has been too busy, yet it is what happens 
in all such cases. I did not think that you would demand to 
know so soon, however.” 

He then told the story that Mrs. Marah told him, to which 
she listened with much attention and interest, then with her 
eyes moist with tears she seated herself upon his knee, and 
stroked his hair as she had done many times before. As he 
drew her to him in a parental embrace she said, “You will 
always be a daddy to me, no matter who is my father; but 
I would like to know where my mother is.” He had not told 
her that Mrs. Marah was the woman of the wrecked boat. 

As Katherine said this Mrs. Marah came into the room. 
Hearing what the girl said she stood speechless for a moment 
before them; then she quickly rushed out of the room. 
“What happened to Mrs. Marah?” Katherine inquired of 
James. 

“She seemed to realize that she was intruding where she 
had no business. I promise you that I will do my best to 
find out who your parents are. I have tried sometimes, but 
politics and service to others have deterred me from my 
search.” James decided to consult Mrs. Marah before he 
told more of the story. 

“Do you think they are still living ? ” she asked. She 
waited, but he did not answer; he seemed to be thinking of 
something very far away. She did not insist farther, but 
kissed him, and went to her room where she remained for 
some time in deep thought and wonder. But the cares and 
problems of the world do not rest very heavily upon the 
young; therefore she was soon at the stable demanding of 
Uncle Israel her pony. After taking a short ride she seemed 


A Mission of Sorrow 247 

to forget entirely the question that she had referred to that 
day. 

After Katherine left the young statesman he sat with 
bowed head thinking what could now be done with the girl. 
She had grown so rapidly during the few years since his 
wife died that she had seemed to jump from the child age 
to that of the young woman. He now felt his loss more 
than ever. If Nellie had lived the two might have become 
wonderful friends, although Nellie never liked her. They 
might have become of mutual aid to each other. He also 
felt like every father feels when left alone with the care of 
a grown daughter, a young woman, upon his hands. He had 
no thoughts but for her happiness, yet he feared greatly 
that the life she was leading with him, and the time that he 
could give her was entirely inadequate to her needs; she 
might grow away from him in the next four or five years, 
much quicker than she had grown during the past few years. 

Moreover, he intended to become the candidate for the 
U. S. Senate that fall; then he would have no time to devote 
to her happiness until after the election; perhaps not for 
many years. If elected, they would move to Washington, 
where she would enter the social affairs of the Capital of 
the Nation. She was already a society belle, even the most 
beautiful of the town, for the other maidens enviously sur¬ 
rendered first honors to her, not because of the success of her 
father, but because of her accomplishments socially and 
her great beauty. The young men did not hesitate to speak 
of her as the most beautiful, with the exception of the few 
on whom she had not looked with favor, and that faction of 
them who were already pledged by ties of affection to other 
maidens. 

And now that James had stopped to think he realized how 
beautiful she had become. It has often been said that the 
father is the last man to discover that he had a charming 
daughter. Katherine was tall, slender, and perfect physi- 


248 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


cally; her lovely blonde hair reached to her knees when she 
stood, and her eyes had the deep blue of the sea, but the 
calm of an inland lake. Every feature of her face was 
well moulded and symmetrically placed, yet the knowledge 
of her wonderful beauty had not become so conscious to her 
that her poses had ceased to be natural. Every turn of her 
head, every turn of her eyes, revealed her earnest, dis¬ 
interested pleasure in seeing and making others happy. 
James himself had unconsciously likened these characteristics 
to Jane Riddle; but the demeanor of Katherine was very dif¬ 
ferent from that of Jane. No woman could be just like 
Jane in that, not even a daughter. In spite of these good 
characteristics of Katherine there appeared to be about her 
a stubborn will, not harmful in itself if well cultivated, but 
which threatened to burst forth in fury, exerting itself at the 
wrong moment in the wrong way, if not properly trained. 
However, no one had become responsible for the training of 
this dangerous faculty. 

All these things James realized that day after the girl had 
gone to her room. But what could he do? Manlike, he 
sat there helpless and alone. It is at such moments in life 
that vain regrets are pictured before the mind. It is at such 
times that the mind becomes a silver screen on which the 
motion pictures of our lives are flashed in truth and accuracy. 
There is no sham, nor acting; no rehearsals or preparation 
before hand, that produce good or bad effects; for we see 
things as they have been. They come to haunt men; to 
teach him how he has failed to learn; how he has permitted 
his passions to overrule his reason. It is also at such times 
that man makes new resolutions; new plans that will bear 
better fruit, if his life is not too far spent before the harvest 
is ready. It never pays to sow wild oats, and although 
James could not be accused of such sowing, he sat self- 
condemned, because his reason had been blinded by the fires 
of his youth. The words of Mrs. Ward were distinctly 


A Mission of Sorrow 


249 


hurled again through his brain as if a painless dart had 
struck him: “Oh, these young men! Will they never 
learn ? ” 

James arose, went to his desk, and hastily examined his 
mail. One envelope was edged with a narrow strip of black. 
This letter, which bore the Philadelphia postmark, proved 
to be from Jane Riddle. The letter contained in a few 
words, the very sad news that Colonel Riddle had died sud¬ 
denly, but that he had spoken of James a few minutes before 
his fatal attack. She did not know what he had said; all 
that she had heard distinctly was “James.” 

Again his thoughts rushed back over the years. Why had 
Colonel Riddle taken notice of him? What had he, James, 
done, to merit the Colonel's attention? Yet his friend had 
made it possible for him to succeed; he had saved his faith 
in mankind when all seemed to be going. This man had made 
it possible for him to win again, to a certain extent, the con¬ 
fidence of his fellow-men. Some of them still did not be¬ 
lieve that he was innocent. Before retiring he determined to 
go to Philadelphia in the morning where he hoped to be of 
some help and comfort to his friends, who had always aided 
him in his work and pleasures. He especially felt that he 
might be of some service again to his old friend and sister, 
Jane Riddle. 

The next morning found James on his way to the city of 
Brotherly Love. Colonel Riddle certainly had practiced that 
precept on which his city had been founded in so far as 
James was concerned, at least. He was sure that he was 
not the only man favored by the Colonel. He soon found 
this to be so for, judging by the number of visitors to the 
bereaved home, there must have been many scores that had 
been helped by the Philadelphian. But as James traveled 
that day his thoughts took a very peculiar circuit; Nellie, 
politics, and Katherine; Jane, politics, Katherine, Nellie. 
As he reached the city, however, politics and Katherine had 


250 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


practically been eliminated. He was being taken to the 
bedside of another good friend that had disappeared. This 
reminded him very vividly of that loss that he had sustained 
when Jane came to be with him. There was, therefore, one 
equation still unsolved—Jane. He wondered if she had a 
lover; several of them, perhaps. However, it would not 
be long until he knew the truth from her. She had always 
been a sister to him; one to whom he had confided all; now 
she would confide in him. Then, too, he had many questions 
to ask her concerning his future course relative to Katherine 
and Mrs. Marah. The whole story must be retold. Kath¬ 
erine must be introduced as a young woman now; one of 
great promise, he thought; advice must be asked, as in the 
early days of his friendship with Jane. She would be able 
to tell him much about girls, and what they liked and dis¬ 
liked. She could give him a code of action that might be of 
great service to him in his future plans for Katherine, who 
now needed a code by which she might be guided in her 
multiplying affairs. 

Feeling that he would like to walk from the station to the 
home on Walnut Street he leisurely covered one block after 
another until he arrived at the familiar house of the Colonel. 
A maid, whom he had not seen on his former trips, admitted 
him to the hall. He requested her to tell Miss Jane that an 
old friend desired to see her, then he was ushered up the 
stairway into the now familiar drawing room. 

It was sometime before anyone appeared; and in spite of 
the fact that he knew that his old friend lay in death some¬ 
where near, he now examined the drawing room of a com¬ 
paratively wealthy man. Its fine qualities drew his eyes 
from one wonder to the other until he had taken in the 
whole room. Few houses in the United States of that day 
were more beautiful and interesting. It was a perfect ex¬ 
ample of the exquisite, old-fashioned homes of the earlier 
generations of well-to-do Americans. The room in which 


A Mission of Sorrow 


251 


James stood contained heirlooms of the Riddle family; ob¬ 
jects of art assembled from England and other parts of 
Europe. The ceiling was high; the walls were paneled in 
dark walnut, gilded and wonderfully carved. On the cor¬ 
nices and around the edges the artist’s skill had carved many 
elaborate and intricate designs. 

There was one long panel that extended across one side 
of the room composed of a huge tapestry, containing two 
adult figures, partly draped, and several naked childish fig¬ 
ures. Several trees and many flowers, which seemed almost 
lifelike, were distributed in excellent proportion. At the 
end of the room there was a fireplace of richly veined marble, 
over which there was hung a huge painting of Colonel Riddle, 
almost lifesize, of very striking resemblance; so striking, in 
fact, that as James turned toward it he seemed to hear the 
familiar voice of his late friend welcome him by friendly 
greeting. 

On the wide mantel were several rare vases, and on the 
huge table, which was supported by four carved figures and 
panels resembling coats-of-arms, there was another costly 
vase, flanked by two Chinese porcelain lamps and two 
bronze figures. 

The pieces of furniture were of the Louis XIV and Louis 
XV period, perhaps bought and imported for this room. 
On a sofa there were several gay pillows and on two of the 
arm-chairs there were other pillows that seemed to save the 
room from having a gloomy appearance. A Persian rug 
almost completely covered the floor, and rendered it impos¬ 
sible for a footstep to be heard. Red with a gold back¬ 
ground, was the prevailing color of this drawing room. 

As James stood contemplating these comforts, he felt, 
rather than heard the presence of another person within the 
room. He started and turned toward the entrance. Jane’s 
beautiful and quiet eyes met his as she crossed the room to 
him. As she drew near she stopped and laid her hand upon 


252 The Gentleman From Maryland 

her bosom, but he approached her and took her tenderly in his 
arms. 

“Dear Sister, you were not expecting me so soon.” 

“No, but I am very glad that you have come. I am very 
lonely, for something which I have always had seems to be 
lost, gone forever.” 

“I already miss your father too; he was a great friend 
to me.” 

As he held her to him she did not seem to object, although 
it was the first time that he had been so intimate with her. 
Presently they sat down, side by side, and her face showed 
the signs of great grief that she seemed to have suffered 
during the last few hours. 

He attempted to say many things that he thought might 
comfort her, but they seemed so inadequate that he left them 
unsaid. Nothing he could say would be of any help to her 
in her trial. Finally he said, “You helped me wonderfully 
in my trouble and loss, I hope that I may be able to aid you 
in return.” 

As she sat by him in her tranquil manner he seemed to 
be more agitated than she; then she spoke of their last 
parting and of Nellie. It was safer for her to speak of 
Nellie than of her father. She seemed so good and true that 
even her grief failed to embitter her as it often does those 
who are not used to goodness. Then she told him of her 
father and sisters, who were all married and living in Phila¬ 
delphia. She said, as she stopped, “Now that you know all, 
you see that I am left alone.” 

“Not ‘alone, Sister.” 

“No, not now, of course; but I will be when you are 
gone.” 

She seemed not able to grasp his whole meaning, and he 
felt that he had spoken too hastily, so he said no more. 

“I have always been happy with papa,” she added more 
cheerfully, “and we have spoken often of the days at Snow 


A Mission of Sorrow 


253 


Hill when you were a frequent visitor at our house. We 
were children then. Daddy always loved children; he has 
often said that those were his happiest days since our mother 
left us. But they are together now, and perhaps more happy 
than ever during their lives. That seems many years ago— 
how old are you now, James? ” 

“I am nearly forty; almost an old man, don’t you think ? ” 

“No I don’t. I am almost thirty-two. A man is not fully 
developed until he is thirty-five. You are just at the proper 
age to do things. We have been hearing, with pleasure, of 
some things which you have done. But tell me about the old 
Mansion, and the factory, and Katherine.” 

“One thing at a time, Sister. The Mansion is almost as 
you left it; the factory has been bought and moved to Snow 
Hill by the Irvin’s who have made it into a whip factory. 
They are doing a fine business, too. I am glad of it, for 
Howard is a fine young man, and his son, Clifton Jr., 
promises to be another. 

“As for Katherine, the story is a little longer. She is 
developing into a wonderful woman. That is one thing 
which I wanted your help and advice. A man is lost when 
he tries to guide a young woman, especially a wilful one. 
It seems that directing the affairs of State or Nation is an 
easier task than directing successfully a daughter who is bent 
on having her own way.” 

He continued by telling her of Mrs. Marah and her story, 
ending by stating that he did not know what was the best 
thing for him to do about telling her of the relation that 
existed between the two. “Would you advise me to tell Kath¬ 
erine that her mother is with her; that she has been with her 
for some time in the same house ? ” he asked. 

Jane thought for some time, then answered, “I don’t be¬ 
lieve I would just now; some time she may demand to know 
all that you do, then be ready with the story. You have sue- 


254 The Gentleman From Maryland 

ceeded in fathering her so long; it might spoil all by re¬ 
vealing the relationship at present. ,, 

At this point they were called to the evening meal. They 
arose and passed across the room; but stopped before the 
portrait of Colonel Riddle. Her eyes filled with tears as she 
said, “When you met him, he was a lonely man; you say 
you are in difficulty with one girl to care for; my mother 
left him heartbroken with four of us to rear. He has cer¬ 
tainly fulfilled his duty, and he was very thankful that he 
lived to see us old enough to care for ourselves. You re¬ 
member that Sunday evening that you came to him dis¬ 
couraged and he talked to you; pointing out that the road 
to success was upward; hard to climb; but crowned with the 
best life had to offer.” 

While she said this she rested her head against his shoul¬ 
der. “I do remember it,” he said, “and I remember that you 
always attempted to lead me to do something better.” 

“My only brother,” she continued, “he was so fine; so 
patient; so gentle to us.” 

“And I am glad that I knew him, and you. I feel tied to 
you by my relations and my associations with your father. 
He inspired me to live down bitterness against my fellow* 
men, and to reach that period when I could forgive them. 
You, too, did no small part of that; I shall always be ready 
to be guided by your advice. Whatever new relationships 
you may form, I shall always love you as I do now, and have 
always done. Your advice and life, my sister, shall continue 
to guide me and influence me to exert all that is good, and 
noble, and honorable within my nature. You had a good 
father, whom you have lost; I have a good mother whom I 
shall lose soon. But I have always felt that you were the 
better off, because you had one who could always protect 
your good name. Yet the fact that you were never bitter 
or sorrowful; but always were faithfully affectionate against 
all discouragement, strengthened me, and led me out to 


A Mission of Sorrow 


255 


despondency and enabled me to attack my problems with a 
determination to win.” 

They then passed down to the dining room; each cherish¬ 
ing memories that were dear to each; each feeling that the 
strife within, which had been renewed by these memories, 
was greatly allayed by the presence of the other. 

As James had been strengthened by her presence at the 
time Nellie was buried, so she seemed to be more reconciled 
to that ordeal that would take place the next day. The most 
difficult time to face in case of the death of a relative is 
that at the side of the grave, when the casket is fast dis¬ 
appearing by being covered by earth. Yet we who have 
advanced very far in civilization, seem still to be unable 
to lead from the grave those who are bereaved before the 
sexton begins that last service for the dead. Many loved 
ones would be spared much pain if they were led from the 
scene before they have witnessed that last service. 


i 


CHAPTER XXI 


MEN ARE LIKE BABIES 

When they reached the dining room James found that 
several other members of the family had already assembled, 
although he believed that they were alone. These others had 
arrived while the memories of the earlier days were being 
recalled and discussed. Directly James found himself being 
introduced to the brothers-in-law of his friend. When he 
arrived Jane summoned them to join her at dinner, for she 
explained, “I did not feel able to entertain alone the friend 
of my father under the circumstances; therefore I sent for 
the others.” 

Her brothers-in-law were fine men who were members 
of some of the oldest families in the city. They all were 
typical business men, who recognized a fellowman and 
accepted him for his true worth. When James was presented 
to Katherine’s husband he said to Jane, “The man who 
saved you from the waters of the Pocomoke; then saved his 
state from the waves of unfair politics. Two fine achieve¬ 
ments, I call that.” Turning to James he said, “Allow me 
to shake the hand of a man who knows his duty and does it.” 

The people of Pennsylvania have always found much fault 
with the politics of their neighbor to the south; but they live 
in glass houses and should be careful. 

The words of the Philadelphian were not spoken in a 
bombastic voice, or as flattery; but with great earnestness and 
seriousness. James liked him at once; not for what he had 
said, but for what he seemed to be. In fact, he liked them 
all, for they were all men who did things. 

After several other remarks the conversation turned to 


Men Are Like Babies 


257 


the missing father, but without any demonstration except 
serious contenances. The Colonel had been a good man 
and an excellent father. He was missed, but he had been 
sick for some time, therefore his death had been expected. 
He was mourned, but not as by those who have no hopes. 
One of the men quoted the famous lines of Bryant, “ ‘So 
live,’ like Colonel Riddle, ‘that when thy summons come to 
join the innumerable caravan,—thou go—like one who 
wraps the mantle of his couch about him, and lies down to 
pleasant dreams.” 

That night they spoke to James about his plans for the 
coming election. He told them that he intended to be the 
candidate of his party for senator, because he saw a greater 
opportunity than he had ever had of serving his State and 
Nation, in that great law-making body. When the other 
members had retired, in order to keep Jane’s attention from 
her sorrow, he asked her aid in several parts of the speech 
which he intended to make throughout his State. After 
reading parts of it to which he referred Jane was able to 
make several suggestions that they both felt were improve¬ 
ments. The voice of a woman, as well as her hand, very 
often softens the hard spots, and smoothes out the rugged 
places that might hurt, rather than cure. 

When James returned home the day after the funeral it 
was with renewed energy, and a greater determination to 
throw himself in the fight that was approaching, with an 
indomitable will to succeed. But that would not be easy; 
already his opponent was at work traveling throughout the 
State while he spoke against the principles for which Purnell 
stood. He was a noted speaker, full of wit and humor, and 
could sway an audience at will. But like many public 
speakers, his audiences remembered that it was a great 
speech much longer than they remembered what the speech 
was. James had always made few promises, but labored to 
fulfill them with the result that he invariably did so. 


258 The Gentleman From Maryland 

Then, too, there was another trouble confronting James 
While he held other offices certain unscrupulous fellows 
about the country had lost his favor by their actions, because 
of their seeming determination to break all laws. Although 
these had not gone over to the enemies' camp, they threatened 
to do so by forming a new party in Worcester county. But 
James was adamant. “I stand for law and order;” he had 
shouted to a delegation of these former supporters, “if you 
do not want to keep the law; if you do not want me to see 
that it is enforced when you break it, I don’t care how soon 
you get out of my party. I desire support from honorable 
citizens alone.” He wanted and asked for the support of 
only those who were reliable; the rest might do what they 
wished. These things he renewed as he returned to his 
home; but he firmly resolved to stand his ground and be 
elected by fair means or not at all. 

After remaining at home for a few days he toured the 
State while he set forth his principles and plans. Good roads 
and better schools were the promises that he made. He 
had already made the reputation of keeping his promises, 
therefore the people were confident that he would do it again. 
The result was, that he was elected in one of the most 
bitterly contested political battles that had been waged in 
Maryland. He was at Baltimore when he heard the news. 
He wrote a letter to his daughter stating that he would be 
home within a few days; then he started for Philadelphia, 
as in the old days, in order to share his triumph with Jane 
Riddle. He wanted to hear her words of praise, for men 
are all like babies; when they are hurt they want sympathy; 
when they are successful they want to be petted and patted 
on the back by their loved ones. He did not exactly know 
what his duty to Jane was. He was greatly changed, but 
she seemed to be the same unchanged, unaltered woman that 
she had ever been. If she had changed as he had, his duty 
would have seemed clearer. If she had announced to him 


Men Are Like Babies 


259 


that she had formed a close attachment with some one else, 
then he would have known how to conduct himself. That he 
still loved her as ever was a settled conclusion; but how 
could he discover what she felt. It was not so easy as it 
had seemed when he was a young man. He resolved to 
break through any barrier that seemed to exist, and to take 
any action which he felt he ought to have taken years before. 

This resolution he had formed before he reached Phila¬ 
delphia. He would not leave the city without having his 
doubts settled. He arrived at the home of Jane with this 
determination having complete possession of himself, and 
was again admitted into her presence. 

They went into the drawing-room where Jane seated 
herself upon the old Louis XIV divan and supported herself 
by its gay pillows. Pie sat down beside her while they talked 
of what happened since his last visit. He spoke especially 
of Baltimore, that old metropolis of Dixie, stating that it 
was fast becoming a foreign city instead of continuing an 
Anglo-Saxon one. He stated that it was a matter of great 
regret to him that the signboards of the business places bore 
innumerable foreign names; that the old American names 
were disappearing and giving place to the immigrant. 
Nearly the whole Eastern coast above Baltimore was being 
changed by these new-comers, except his dearly beloved 
Peninsula, which still remained unchanged because practi¬ 
cally untouched by Southern Europe and its ignorant hordes. 

Then he spoke of the way the morals were being 
lowered, of the desecration of the Sabbath day by making an 
European play-day out of it. These people, with their 
European born representatives at Annapolis were clamoring 
for increased representation; if they succeeded in getting it 
they would control the whole state of Maryland; that land 
where the Roman Catholics had established their first church 
in the United States; that land where the Presbyterian 
church of America was born; that land that was the cradle 


260 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


of the Methodist Protestant church of America; and also 
had been favored by being the first place where the good 
Quakers had built their Meeting-house after coming to Mary¬ 
land. But all of these old religious influences were fast 
disappearing in his State; they were changing for that which 
was lawless, irreligious, and criminal, and not one of these old 
bodies of religious force seemed to be able to meet this grow¬ 
ing evil. He believed the time was near when these strangers 
would impose their standards upon an unwilling people who 
had better rights, because they could claim prior rights. The 
people of Maryland would be forced to do like the liberty- 
loving citizens of other eastern states had done. They could 
either submit, or they could move on; but where could they 
move now? They had waited too long. 

When he paused for a moment, she remarked, “You are 
very serious today, James; we have been living in those 
conditions for some time.” 

“And what is the result? Your citizens of pure Anglo- 
Saxon blood and high ideals have left your city in great 
numbers. They have gone where they will build up another 
strong empire to be usurped again by men of lower morals, 
in the future. But there will come a halting time. This can¬ 
not go on forever. The Anglo-Saxon has settled the last 
place that is desirable for a home like he enjoys in this 
world. He cannot transport himself to new planets, there¬ 
fore he will have to do something else for his protection. 
We cannot always remain the dumping ground of Europe 
with its rotten, putrified wars and political plottings, by 
which she cleanses herself of her undesirables. We will 
reach the limits of our country and will be swallowed up 
in this eastern filth and degradation, or we must organize 
against their power. We have tried to raise them, both 
religiously and intellectually, but we have failed because they 
do not want that; they are now pulling down our strong house 
upon our heads.” 


Men Are Like Babies 


261 


“I realize,” she responded, “that this condition of affairs 
is hard to solve. In this city we have become reconciled to 
the inevitable. The foreigner is everywhere; he is not 
changing, but he is proud to remain a foreigner. We hear 
more foreign language than English. We see more foreign¬ 
ers than Americans; we see more foreign papers being sold at 
news stands than American; practically all our trades-people 
are foreigners, and will not speak English unless we refuse to 
buy from them until they have responded to us in English. 
Then they will turn to a clerk or assistant to whom they will 
give our order in a foreign tongue.” 

“We are being Europeanized, Jane. England and her 
colonies are saving themselves by profiting from our mistakes 
and near-sightedness. They demand that their immigrants 
leave their language and their papers behind; that they read 
and speak English; that they keep the laws of their adopted 
country; that they accept the customs as they find them in 
that land. If America does not awaken to her danger, she 
will lose her place, and England will be the only great nation 
using the English language. We cannot blame the many 
Americans that seek homes on English soil. It is the last 
recourse that is open to them. I believe that no foreign 
newspaper should be printed in America unless its editors 
print it in English; I believe that no boy or girl in any school 
or college, should be permitted to speak or read a text book 
in any language but the English. The day is coming and is 
not far off, when these citizens, who are still loyal to their 
home nation and language, will turn against our laws, and 
will claim allegiance to two nations; will support two flags; 
will desire to see their home nation victorious at the cost of 
the United States. Already it is a common thing to hear 
men say that the United States is far from being the most 
ideal of the governments of the world.” 

Jane had no answer for this. They sat for some time in 
silence; then their conversation turned to things of lighter 


262 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


vein. Jane had been crocheting for some time, but now put 
away her work for the evening. She was much more 
cheerful than she had been on his previous visit. 

“Sometimes you are too serious for me, James,” she said. 

“I have reason to be, Sister; on no one’s shoulders rests 
the affairs of our government more heavily than on its 
law-makers.” 

“It is a fine thing that we have such law-makers.” 

“Thank you; but there is another problem that makes 
me serious. I will tell you about that if you will listen.” He 
paused for her answer. 

“You have always found me attentive and interested in 
anything that is of importance to you, have you not ? ” 

“Always; yet this is different from anything else that I 
have ever spoken to you of. But I am very much interested, 
therefore I have your assurance that you will listen.” 

If she had any idea of the importance of this subject she 
did not show it. “You have spoken of many different sub¬ 
jects, to all of which I have listened,” she said. 

“Yes, I have confided all things to you; but you do not 
seem to tell me all. Do you think that my feelings toward 
you have changed ? ” 

“No, but you have become famous, and I am still the same 
ordinary girl that you knew long ago.” 

“No matter how famous I become, I will always remem¬ 
ber the debt of gratitude that I owe you. Don’t you 
remember the first time I told you of it ? ” 

She remembered everything that he had ever told her. 

“Of course I do, very well,” she calmly said. 

“Then why don’t you share all with me ? ” 

She dropped her eyes, and her form seemed to shake 
slightly. 

“If you have changed,” he continued, “if there is someone 
else who holds your affections, why not let me share your 
happiness. I trust you, my dear sister; now if you can trust 


Men Are Like Babies 


263 


me, as you have always said that you could, you can continue 
to allow me to be your brother, in this especially. ,, 

“There are some things that even a sister cannot trust a 
brother with, aren’t there ? ” 

The girl surprised him by arising, then stepping to the wide 
mantel beneath the painting of her father, where she dropped 
her head upon her arms, and burst into uncontrolled weeping. 

The man was lost in the company of such tears. Nellie 
had often had fits of intense crying, but these seemed to be 
far from the nature of Jane. “My dear sister,” he said, “I 
am sorry if I have offended you.” 

“James, forgive me for acting so. You have spoken at the 
wrong time. I promise to tell you all, but not now. At some 
other time I will explain all.’ 

But he would not be put off. “My dear Jane,” he con¬ 
tinued, “if you are not happy, tell me. If you need any help, 
let me give it. If I can make life easier for you, give me the 
right. There are only two for whom I live now; Katherine 
and you.” 

“Not now,” she insisted, “at some other time; I can’t tell 
you what you ask now.” 

“Listen to me, Sister, do not send me away like this. Let’s 
not have a misunderstanding now. All my desire is to see 
you happy; to make you so, if I have the power. All that I 
need is to hear you speak; to tell me what you want, and I 
will be content as I have always been.” 

“I am indebted to you already for a great deal of happi¬ 
ness,” she said. “Sometimes I feel the need of some friend, 
who has always appeared. Sometimes I have felt lonely, but 
not for long. Sometimes I have had sorrow to bear, but it 
has passed with time. My secret, which you think I have, is 
not new to me, and you are mistaken in your belief con¬ 
cerning it. When my father lived he was the only one that 
shared it; since his death, I have had it alone. I have lived 


264 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


with it, cherished it, for a long time; I cannot share it now 
with anyone, not even with you, my brother.” 

He was thinking rapidly. “It is not what you think; I 
have lived with it; cherished it, for a long time,” was what 
she had said. 

“My dear Jane, I came here today resolved not to say 
anything about my personal hopes and fears. Because I have 
found you in this condition I must, though. It might save 
us from another mistake. I will speak now, Jane, for a 
long time I have desired to be more to you than a brother. 
I hoped the time would come when I could tell you, but I 
feared. I believe that it has come now; there is not a better 
time, is there ? ” 

She was crying again. This time he took her tenderly in 
his arms as he had done once before. He hesitated, feared 
that she might rebuke him and perhaps leave him. But her 
arms slowly went to his shoulders, and all his fears suddenly 
took flight, leaving him with a great desire; the desire to 
declare all to her. 

“My own darling, if I had been more thoughtful we might 
have been thus long ago, yet I could never believe that you 
would ever think of me in this way. You were Colonel Rid¬ 
dle’s daughter; I, a poor boy. But I always loved you, 
and was very thankful that I had your friendship and 
sympathy.” 

She still clung to him. Directly she said, “Many good men 
have caused girls to suffer many years because they have felt 
as you did. We can’t speak and keep our dignity; if you 
men do not, we can only wait.” 

“You remember when I told you of Nellie. Your sympathy 
was what I needed and received. Then when I lost her, you 
were with me again. It seems to be your sympathy that has 
been with me always.” 

They talked long into the night and his joy was made 
complete just before they parted. She again placed her 


Men Are Like Babies 


265 


hands upon his shoulders and said, “Now, James, I can tell 
you my secret. Then you will see that I could not tell it 
before.” 

“What is it dearest ? I am anxious to hear it.” 

“So like men; they claim that only women die of curiosity. 
But here it is. I have loved you alone ever since you saved 
me from the Pocomoke.” 

The next day about noon he returned to Snow Hill, but 
not for long. That same month he paid another visit to 
Philadelphia where he and Jane were married in the drawing 
room while facing the painting of Colonel Riddle. The only 
guests present were her sisters and brothers and Katherine 
Purnell. Neither of them desired to have anyone else present 
as it was so near the death of Jane’s father. 

While they were returning to their home at Snow Hill, she 
said to him, “My husband, now I can tell you something that 
will please you greatly.” 

“What is it, Jane?” 

“Have you ever wondered why Nellie sent for me? ” 

“Many, many times, but I did not care to interfere with the 
relations that seemed to exist between you two.” 

“She told me that she wished no other woman to take her 
place, except me. Now how do you think I ever kept 
that secret ? ” 

“For you it was easy, but for anyone else it would have 
been a difficult thing to do.” 

“It was difficult for me, and I told Daddy too, that we 
could speak of it together.” 

“I wish Mrs. Ward had known it.” 

“Why?” 

“She would have saved us both many anxious moments.” 

“But she would have told others who had no business with 
it.” 

“Never in this world. That woman can keep anything 


266 The Gentleman From Maryland 

except her signs and wonders. She would have sent me to 
you long ago.” 

“You came without her knowledge, therefore it is better, 
for only we two know the true worth of Nellie.” 


CHAPTER XXII 


Covington's new mistress 

After the new mistress was established in the old Cov¬ 
ington Mansion that home took on new life. She was not 
altogether new, either, for when she lived there as Miss Jane 
Riddle she had exercised nearly all of the prerogatives of a 
real mistress. Now she was mistress indeed, and all the 
people of the town were going to give her a reception in her 
own home. James had heard that they would be serenaded 
on the second night after their arrival. Knowing this he 
had planned to forestall them. The merchant who told him 
of the plans of the “boys" was for a long time afterwards 
accused of doing so in order to get the chance of supplying 
the house with the necessary refreshments. 

James also felt that he owed the people of the town 
something for the hearty support that he had received from 
the majority of them at the polls. He therefore determined 
to kill two birds with one stone. He gave the order to the 
merchant, who had been his informant, who supplied him 
with the sundries that were necessary to entertain half of the 
population of the town, if they had come at the same time. 
Nevertheless the younger people determined that they should 
not lose their fun, therefore they arranged a large broad- 
tread wagon tire on a frame so that it could be carried with 
ease, then with sledge hammers they struck it repeatedly, 
thus creating a noise that might be heard for miles. This 
noisy group marched up Church street, then turned in at the 
gates of the Mansion to the tune of the wagon tire and the 
hammers. They made three rounds around the house, 
stopping at the front door. It was but a very short time 


268 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


until James and his bride appeared, for they had had all of 
the music that they wanted. As this was what the young 
people wanted them to do they were perfectly satisfied to 
put away their instruments until the next wedding; but if 
the bride and groom had not appeared this same performance 
would have been repeated until they came out in order to 
get rid of the terrible noise. 

When the young folks had assembled in the house they 
found that many of the other citizens were already there. 
Many of those present were from a distance, having ridden 
for several hours in some cases. Many more had come on 
the railroad earlier in the day, and were bound over for the 
night. 

James had not had much time to prepare for this company, 
but with the aid of several dusky cooks he had made good 
provision for them. Behind the house there was an ox 
suspended upon a pole, while two of these Negro cooks kept 
a slow fire going under it continuously. They also kept the 
ox turning from side to side in order to have the whole well 
roasted. 

When this was finished several men lifted it from the fire, 
carried it into a large room where it was placed on the table, 
and, aided by the town butcher, very soon had it cut into 
ample stakes, which were distributed to groups of those who 
could not or would not go into the house, but who stood in 
different parts of the yard. It did not take the roast long 
to disappear, for no matter how bashful they were about 
showing themselves, they were far from bashful about eating 
that which was brought to them. The select company were 
assembled on the second floor, for the first floor had been 
wholly turned over to the casual acquaintance and the strang¬ 
er, of whom there seemed to be a great number. Yet this 
whole assemblage was as orderly as those gathered upstairs. 
An outburst was heard sometimes, but soon subsided as Jane 
and Katherine approached the noisy group. They seemed 


Covington's New Mistress 


269 


to be everywhere, urging all to have a good time; praising 
some, shaking hands with some whom Jane remembered, and 
bowing or nodding to all alike. Sometimes they were 
accompanied by James, but as he had many duties to perform 
as host of the evening, they were more often accompanied by 
Walter Whaley. 

There was one person, however, who could not be found 
anywhere among the crowd. She was staying quietly in her 
little room in the third story, where her dim lamp was noticed 
by many who were in the yard. She had her own reasons 
for staying there; but never divulged them to anyone. The 
day that Jane had arrived she met them in the hall; but 
seemed to avoid looking Jane straight in the face. A woman 
has a quicker intuition than a man, and Jane seemed sure that 
she had met Mrs. Marah before; yet she could not recall 
where or when. Then it suddenly dawned upon her that the 
same woman had been to their house in Philadelphia several 
months before, when she had applied for a position at the 
house. As the Riddles had a sufficient number of servants 
they could not offer her employment. This had seemed to 
be a great disappointment to her, for she had turned 
sorrowfully away. 

When the barbecue was ended, and the greater number of 
the guests had departed the bride renewed her acquaintance 
with many of those who had remained upstairs. Mrs. Howard 
Irvin, as she shook her hand and bestowed a feminine peck 
upon her cheek, said, “I don’t know whether I forgive you or 
not, Jane; you were my bridesmaid, but you did not even 
invite me to your wedding.” 

“Please forgive me, Rose; I desired your company very 
much, but under the circumstances I did not wish anyone 
present except the family.” 

“I am not hurt at all, but I want you to treat me very 
warmly from now on. We must be the best of neighbors, 
you know.” 


270 The Gentleman From Maryland 

“Never fear, dear Rose; your home will be mine, and 
mine will be yours.” 

After the guests had either gone home or retired for the 
night, James and his wife, accompanied by Katherine and 
Whaley, escorted James’ mother to her home beyond the 
court house. They had insisted upon her staying at 
the Covington Mansion, but she desired to return to her 
home. She said that Mrs. Gordy was afraid to stay alone; 
that she believed that Roy might come back some night and 
do them some harm. As Mrs. Gordy had never left her 
alone, she thought it her duty to stay with the younger 
woman whenever she could. 

Walter did not return to the house with them again. He 
bid them goodnight at his own door as they passed Wash¬ 
ington and Market streets. The three returned to their 
home, which was now in darkness except for the dim light 
in the room at the west end of the third story, and one in the 
kitchen where the servants were trying to clean away some 
of the results of the feast. The light in the west end 
would continue to burn until Katherine was snugly wrapped 
away in her bed; then it would disappear. 

The presence of the new mistress made no difference in 
this one thing. Every night Mrs. Marah would quietly 
descend the stairs to Katherine’s room, where she would 
carefully tuck away the covers about the girl before she 
herself retired. Jane never interfered with the habit; she 
felt that the girl did not object and surely the mother had the 
right even though the daughter did not know the existing 
relationship. She would appreciate it the more when she 
discovered it. 

That winter was a most happy one for the Purnell’s. James 
realized more than ever the value of a good woman’s love. 
He was very busy preparing for his new duties at Wash¬ 
ington, and attempting to satisfy his many political friends. 
In this he had the great help and sympathy of both wife and 


Covington's New Mistress 


271 


mother. The women had always been great friends; now 
they had become almost inseparable during the day. 

This close friendship lasted until early in the Spring when 
they were preparing to go to Washington for a few months 
where James would be close to the Capitol. Then the 
inevitable happened. James had planned to take his mother 
and Mrs. Gordy with them. He intended to rent an apart¬ 
ment or house where Mrs. Gordy could act as housekeeper; 
but the winter was so severe that his mother contracted 
pneumonia from which she never recovered. 

This was the greatest cause of grief that James had 
suffered. Not even the death of his wife had affected him 
as that of his mother. It was a fine thing for him that Jane 
was with him; the loss of his old loves seemed to increase his 
new love for her, and all three affections were now settled 
upon one. His mother is buried in the old cemetery of the 
Makemie church where her tomb is marked by a fine stone; 
a pedestal on which stands the figure of a woman almost 
life-size. 

The sympathy and understanding shown by Jane during 
that winter were the lodestones that led James through it. 
Life is spent in search of these two precious assets to human 
character. Of the many needs that we have, the greatest is 
for someone who is a true companion of the soul; one who 
will receive confessions and confidences, and will give back 
encouragement, affection, and appreciation. It demands 
time to find such friendship; it demands trust and full 
appreciation of virtues as well as sensitiveness to defects, 
and an unfailing love that forgets the evils and treasures the 
good. Fortunate above most is the person who has such a 
friend for his companion, wife or husband. 

Too many young people marry while they are boys and 
girls; before they have developed the desire for such a 
mate, or the wisdom to choose or recognize such when found. 
The divorce attorney profits, but the marriage relationship 


272 The Gentleman From Maryland 

degenerates to a state which is merely sensual. Most for¬ 
tunate is the person who chooses for his life companion one 
with whom he can speak out freely; with whom he can walk 
in love and sympathy, without being false, without pretense, 
or hypocrisy, which spells ruined homes and civilization. 

We do not want our civilization to become a ruin. We 
do not want the history of Babylon, Greece or Rome to be 
repeated in free America. Yet our very freedom may bring 
it to pass. When we permit a repudiation of the moral ideals 
of Christianity, on which our civilization has been built, to 
increase and exist in society, the Anglo-Saxon age will pass 
into oblivion, and the Moslem or Bolshevist empire will be 
established on our shores. The present tendency is to 
repudiate those morals for which our fathers fought and 
died in many cases. They are not to become antiquated; 
they are not to become the flotsam or jetsam of society, to 
be washed about by the winds of popular opinion, the opinion 
of the majority. 

The mind of the majority is a weak vessel that may easily 
be destroyed. Let the majority choose their fiction, and 
what would it be ? Mere trash and rubbish. Let them choose 
what they want in music. Their choice would be the degen¬ 
erated harmony called “J azz -” Let them choose dramatics; 
their choice will be mobs, murder, rapes, suicides, the liber¬ 
tine, the law-breaker, and such types woven into a mass by 
which they get a thrill. Let them choose the films of the 
world; the choice will become the indecent, moral degrading 
type that seems to prevail everywhere. The choice of the 
majority will be destruction; not for themselves—oh no— 
but for their children. For what care the majority for the 
future? Sufficient unto the day is their motto. 

The marriage relation is being repudiated; the church is 
being slandered; the thing for which she has stood is being 
attacked, especially from within, because it stands for the 
relations on which Christianity has been built. There are 


Covington’s New Mistress 


273 


certain libertines in the church who are undermining its high 
ideals; not from the standpoint of the pews, but from the 
pulpit. In the place of these ideals they are advocating 
impure sexual relations, a licentious Sabbath day, a discard¬ 
ing of the Christian principles, a suspension or rejection of 
the Christian morals, and are adopting beliefs and advocating 
morals opposed to Christianity. Because it seems to be the 
fashion for the social set to do these things, certain good 
elements of humanity, who live only to be fashionable, are 
practicing the modern fad of staying away from church, of 
desecrating the Sabbath, of polluting the laws of God and of 
man. They make Christ a Bolshevist or a Socialist at will; 
therefore our system of thought, and our system of life are 
at stake. The only way to save our civilization and stay this 
wave of immorality that threatens to submerge our nation 
and the modern world is to increase the number of those who 
believe in God and who keep the Commandments and the 
Constitution of our Nation; those who will fight for it and 
die for it against the foreigner in his own country, or the 
hyphenated monstrosity in our own country. 

These were the principles of James Purnell, who was 
preparing to stand upon the floor of the world’s greatest 
Capitol as the Gentleman from Maryland, where he could 
follow the precepts of Pilgrim, Puritan, Scotch-Irish Pres¬ 
byterian, Huguenot, and Lord Baltimore Catholic. For the 
next six years he would have a chance to render this dis¬ 
tinctive service; and he was well prepared for the task. He 
was of that race which has produced the greatest leaders of 
America, as well as the greatest of the world, pure Anglo- 
Saxon. His moral code was the Ten Commandments; his 
political code was the Constitution of the United States. On 
one occasion when a man reported to him that he had been 
robbed, Purnell said: “The thief broke the Ten Command¬ 
ments, and the Constitution of the Nation.” 

“Yes, Sir,” was the reply. 


274 The Gentleman From Maryland 

“Have you ever broken the law ? ” 

After some hesitation, the man answered: “Yes, Sir, I 
reckon I have; I have shot game out of season. ,, 

James answered: “That might seem a small thing; but 
what would be the consequence if all men were as you in that 
matter? There is not a law made that is not repeatedly 
broken. But the man who knowingly breaks the law of his 
country has absolutely no right to redress when he becomes 
the victim when someone else breaks them. If judges 
would ask all men that question when they demand justice 
the eyes of a great many would be opened to the truth 
of that fact. A man who kills game out of season, or takes 
fish out of season, or makes illegal whiskey, or sells it, or 
prints money, or kills, or steals, or murders, or commits 
adultery, or bears false witness is equally guilty and has no 
just cause for protection by law from any man who commits 
such crimes. If you want the protection that the law affords 
keep the laws to the letter. If you do what you think is a 
petty wrong, because you claim the personal liberty for your¬ 
self, or because of your superior intelligence or strength, 
your son, who sees you do so, may claim the same personal 
liberty to kill you in order to enjoy your estate; yet he will 
be no more guilty than you are.” 

“If you hit a duck on the back, he will quack,” remarked 
a by-stander. 

“He hit me on the head, and you too,” another added. 

The man who came to James with the grievance dropped 
his head, then walked away, for his son, who had accom¬ 
panied him on his illegal hunting trips, was then in jail for 
exercising the same liberty. 

A few days after this James had another conflict with 
Walter Whaley. James had promised the office of county 
treasurer to Walter in return for his support. In those days 
the county treasurer was a very important person; he 
collected all the taxes, paid all bills, and administered the 


Covington's New Mistress 


275 


affairs of the office to please himself. Among the many 
expenditures that he made was that for school teachers’ 
salaries. For about three years each teacher had been 
receiving about one hundred dollars less than what was 
promised. After standing this condition as long as their 
patience and dignity would permit they appeared before 
James with their complaint. When the treasurer was called 
he was asked to explain. 

He explained, “I consider that four hundred dollars is 
enough for any teacher. It is more than they earn; for 
when I taught school I never earned what I received during 
the whole time that I taught.” 

“It is theirs by law, and by rights; give it to them,” 
shouted James. 

There was nothing for the treasurer to do but to comply. 
It was later found that the extra one hundred dollars had 
been appropriated to the private use of Whaley. 

This incident was the beginning of the conditions that later 
split the hitherto strong Democratic party of the Shore into 
two parts. The new party was led by Whaley, nominally, 
because of this difference—which seemed to appeal to the 
stingy tax payers who felt that Whaley had been saving them 
money by cutting down the teachers’ pay—but chiefly because 
of the old antagonism that started in the office of Gambrill 
and Company. This, combined with Whaley’s opposition 
on the whiskey question which was then pressing itself upon 
the whole Nation, was the reason for the division. 

This new party was called the “Peoples’ Party.” It was 
really the Republican party; but its adherents did not claim 
that it was, because that name was hated on the Shore among 
these people of Southern extraction. If they had called it 
the Republican Party it would have had an instant death for 
want of adherents who would not have been misled by the 
name. Numerous white men voted for that party for several 
years before they learned that it was allied with the Repub- 


276 The Gentleman From Maryland 

licans. The party was composed primarily of sore-head 
Democrats who were denied an office when they wished it, 
or who were not satisfied to have the offices of Worcester 
county equally distributed. The majority of them lived in 
Snow Hill and they felt that all of the county offices should 
be held by residents of that county seat. What were they 
living there for, anyway? How were they to make a living 
if not as parasites of the county? Then there were a few 
white Republicans who joined them, but the bulk of the 
party were Negroes. It has never exerted a very strong 
influence, but has been successful at times in capturing sev¬ 
eral of the minor offices of the county by promising the 
Negro what they never intended him to have. 

Notwithstanding this political difference that existed 
between Purnell and Whaley they remained friends, and 
after James had moved his family to Washington Whaley 
continued to be a frequent visitor at the home of the 
Gentleman from Maryland. 

It was greatly hoped by at least two young men of the 
community that this difference would put an end to the 
friendship, or of the frequent visits, anyhow, but James was 
too broad-minded to permit political differences to enter into 
personal animosity, which had existed for some time. These 
two young men would have been greatly encouraged had they 
known that the Maryland senator, on several occasions, had 
attempted to persuade Katherine to put an end to this friend¬ 
ship ; but she absolutely refused to do so, giving as her rea¬ 
son that she saw no cause to end relations that would never 
be construed to be anything but friendship such as might 
exist between a father and daughter. 

“You are always busy, Daddy,” she said, “and I simply 
must have someone to accompany me on my rides.” 

“Why not choose younger protectors; several would be 
glad of the privilege,” James answered. 


Covington's New Mistress 


277 


“The young men bore me, and I despise to be bored. They 
all think that they must make love to me.” 

“Then I will hire a servant to go with you.” 

“1 had rather have a deaf and dumb one then, for I will 
talk to anyone who can hear.” 

James did not pursue the subject further, and the incident 
ended. 


CHAPTER XXIII 


HONORING THE MIGHTY 

While Whaley had belonged to the old party, James felt 
that his friendship for Katherine would enable him to hold 
his old enemy in check, and through him, would be able to 
control a large number of votes of that class of people who 
were Whaley’s friends. But now that the break had come 
he had given up hopes along this line. It is by such strata¬ 
gems that even the good politicians must hold together 
their supporters. But having said all that he felt that he 
could say, with propriety to her on the subject and having 
known for some time the real designs of the old beau who 
claimed to be merely a protector the Senator resolved to 
play the political game with the other lovers of his inde¬ 
pendent daughter. 

After outlining his campaign it was a comparatively easy 
thing to solicit the aid of the young men. The Senator and 
his family returned to Snow Hill for the summer months, 
during which many social affairs were held at the Covington 
Mansion. Katherine found herself beset by suitors from 
far and near. She was greatly surprised at the number of 
proposals which she received. Many of the gallants of the 
neighboring towns had their wings singed at this altar of 
fickleness. James Rowley, who kept the hotel at Horntown 
in his large brick house which overlooked that sleepy town, 
where one man works while four lean over the fence to 
watch proceedings, was so discouraged by the rebuff re¬ 
ceived from Katherine that he hanged himself from the 
attic window of his hotel. The immense mansion has never 
been occupied since that day. It is now used as a storehouse 


Honoring the Mighty 


279 


for barrels and potatoes. Robert Mapps, of the old town 
of Accomac, vowed that the cypress-stained waters of the 
Pocomoke would close over him if he did not hear her whis¬ 
per that magic word of three letters that would give him 
happiness. John Mason, of Stockton, and Clifton Irvin, Jr., 
were devotion personified; Edward Blaine of Pocomoke City, 
who was known as the meanest man outside of Girdletree 
Hill, swore vengeance on all who interfered with his desires; 
Jackson Toadvine of Salisbury, and Elwood Stanford, the 
young judge of Princess Anne played many a game of 
“craps” for dances or evenings alone with her. Yet all of 
these seemed to be weighed and found wanting by the ob¬ 
stinate creature of their choice when the gallant Whaley 
was on the scene. 

Of all this group the Senator favored Irvin, Jr., the son of 
his old friend Rose. But that young man, with other good 
qualities, had inherited pride from both sides of his family 
tree, and refused to submit to any bullying of the Senator’s 
adopted daughter, although he admitted to his Aunt Nan 
that her equal could not be found. Katherine was attracted 
toward him to a greater degree than to any of her other 
young suitors, but she did not like his haughty bearing when 
in her company, and resolved to see him humbled somewhat 
before she yielded him any favors. When he urged his 
claims upon her she would answer him by saying, sarcasti¬ 
cally, “You would never be satisfied with a wife who has no 
name; but Mr. Whaley does not object to that default.” 
Then he would irritate her the more by dropping the sub¬ 
ject, and by going on his way. 

Notwithstanding her friendship for Whaley, there was 
another suitor that seemed to give him not a little anxiety. 
When the Purnells came from the Capital they were accom¬ 
panied by a foreign gentleman who claimed to belong to an 
aristocratic house of Italy. He was known as the Count 
Dimarco, and he rented a suite of rooms at the Parker House 


280 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


from where he emerged daily and nightly for his calls at 
the Covington Mansion. The residents of the old town were 
not a little surprised at the turn events seemed to be taking, 
and the young men made Whaley’s life miserable by their 
jests about this princely rival. He at least gave the women 
another subject of conversation, besides their common sub¬ 
jects of neighbors, fashions, and Negroes. Although there 
were many conjectures about his relations with Katherine, 
all of the women were so well acquainted with her ways that 
they felt her capable of doing almost anything. And why be 
shocked? Many a fine, well-bred, wealthy American girl 
stands upon the auction block, ready to be knocked down to 
the foreign bidder who has the longest title. 

Within a few weeks of the Count’s arrival he seemed to 
become desperate. The proprietor of his hotel was getting 
anxious for a settlement. Count Dimarco arranged for a 
private conference with the Senator, at which he swore 
everlasting allegiance to him and to his charming daughter. 

“What does she say?” asked the Senator, in his American 
manner. 

“I have not spoken to the angel,” was the Count’s answer. 

“You had better speak to her, Count. In America we 
allow the ladies the privilege of speaking for themselves, or 
at least they take it.” 

No one ever learned the details of that meeting between 
the Count and his lady, but it had dire results for the Count. 
He immediately left the suite of rooms in the hotel, went to 
Scarborough Switch, a few miles away, and there hired him¬ 
self to a farmer, where he remained for some time, perhaps 
to be near his “angel.” He must have easily forgotten, how¬ 
ever, for when the farmer’s wife refused to elope with him 
he killed her, her husband, another hired man, and a Negro 
boy, who did odd things about the place. 

For these crimes the Count was taken to Snow Hill, where 
he was lodged in the county jail. He was soon tried here 


Honoring the Mighty 


281 


for the murder of the farmer, convicted, and sentenced to 
hang. Judges Staton, of Snow Hill; Stanford, of Princess 
Anne; and Toadvine, of Salisbury concurred in passing the 
sentence which was read to the prisoner by Judge Staton. 

While the prisoner was awaiting his death, Judge Staton 
received a communication from the Black Hand Society 
which read: “If you hang Dimarco we will blow up your 
town.” It was signed with the figure of a hand and skull and 
cross-bones drawn in red. Such a thing had never been 
received or seen in this community, probably because this 
wa$ the first time that it had been touched by the foot of the 
foreign criminal. But justice was not to be perverted by this 
foreign threat, probably because the officials were ignorant 
of its import. However, the pseudo Count was hanged at the 
Alms House without any harm to the community. In many 
places, executives, judges, lawyers, and policemen are in 
such fear of the foreigner that they tremble in their shoes 
and hold their peace when a crime is committed. It is a 
fact of general knowledge that in our great cities justice is 
more swift to fall upon the native criminal, than upon the 
foreigner, because of this fear. It is no wonder that we are 
fast becoming a land of gunmen and cut-throats, when every 
man’s hand seems to be against his neighbor. The good 
Samaritan is needed to-day more than at any time, but he is 
also in more danger. Let us awake from this lethargy and 
throw oil this yoke of the illiterate, ignorant, superstitious 
foreigner. Let him abide by our laws or return to his own 
country and king. We want him only when he is ready to 
abide by our laws, and to assimilate our ways. Whenever 
our government begins to deport every foreigner, who has 
been proven a criminal, we will be saved a great expense and 
justice will be known again. 

No, Snow Hill was not blown up. But something else 
more mysterious happened. Within a few days after the 
gibbet had claimed another victim, Judge Staton was found 


282 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


dead in his bed; Judge Stanford was found in his bath room, 
where he had gone to shave, with his throat cut; and Judge 
Toadvine was shot through the head while lying in his bed. 
The last two were said to be suicides; yet no cause was 
found to prove that two judges, living in neighboring towns, 
and the best of friends, should kill themselves within a few 
hours of each other. The physician reported that Staton 
had died of heart failure, but it was his first attack that 
proved so fatal, for he was young and very rugged. The 
foreigner still attempts to rule by instilling fear and terror 
into the natives of our glorious land. We sit back while we 
watch him, never raising our hands to check him, because we 
feel that he will not molest those who do not meddle with 
him. The great awakening is not far in the distance. It 
may be seen by the thoughtful as it arises in the East in 
the shape of a dark cloud “about the size of a man’s hand.” 

During that same summer Senator Purnell was asked to be 
the principal speaker at a very important event in the his¬ 
tory of the Eastern Shore. A monument had been built by 
the untiring efforts of a son of Rev. Robert McMaster, who 
was now dead, and Mr. Cook, of Philadelphia, to the 
memory of Rev. Francis Makemie, the father of the Pres¬ 
byterian Church in America. These men, with the invaluable 
aid of Dr. Bowen, who lived at Buckingham, now Berlin, 
had found the grave of Makemie in a “pound” or inclosure 
where stock was kept, in Accomac County, near the place 
where that great missionary had landed in Virginia. His 
grave, neglected for years, had been the tramping ground 
of cattle, the mud wallow for hogs, until reclaimed and 
marked by the monument. Now the spot is known as 
Makemie Park. It is loved and revered by thousands of the 
descendants of the people to whom this noted servant of 
God ministered in a strange but glorious land, who gather 
annually at the monument to renew their faith in God while 
they pay honor to the man so long neglected. 


Honoring the Mighty 


283 


On the day when the monument was to be unveiled sev¬ 
eral thousand people assembled to hear the speakers, and to 
honor that great “Pastor of the Evergreens,” who had for¬ 
mulated the policies, religious, and political, of this region, 
by which its inhabitants are still guided, to a great extent. 
They especially had prepared themselves to hear a great ora¬ 
tion from the Gentleman from Maryland, who had become 
their well-known statesman. 

The Senator and his party from Snow Hill journeyed to 
Makemie Park by the way of Kingston, because the roads 
were more solid that way. They stopped at the old home¬ 
stead of Samuel Chase, that ancient lion of democracy who 
did more than any other one Marylander to force his state 
to support General Washington. On this venerable estate 
the party encamped for lunch. Nearby stood the old Wash¬ 
ington Academy, and the associations of these two sacred 
spots seemed to fire the orator’s soul, for he felt a greater 
desire to speak upon this occasion than ever he had felt 
since the invitation had been extended to him. 

This enthusiasm developed as he reached the old Rehoboth 
Church, with its neighboring Episcopal edifice almost as 
venerable. Makemie built the Rehoboth Church just a few 
years before the Episcopalians came to this spot. 

Here it will be necessary to write a few words about these 
two old churches in order to make the story complete; for no 
story of this region is finished that does not tell fully of the 
history of these two ancient sanctuaries. 

The Episcopal edifice had been standing for over one hun¬ 
dred and fifty years in a grove of sycamores, cedars, and ap¬ 
ples. The main building, which is about eighty feet long and 
forty feet wide, is built of English brick. It stands about 
a quarter of a mile from the river landing at Rehoboth and 
about two hundred yards from the Rehoboth church. Sev- 
years after it was constructed it was struck by lightning while 
services were being held. The east end was split from the 


284 The Gentleman From Maryland 

roof to the foundation. A young rector, Mr. Foster, was 
preaching at the time. He was instantly killed by the bolt, 
but it seems that no one else was hurt. His body was buried 
under the chancel where it lays until this day. The opening 
made by the lightning was repaired with bricks made near 
the place, but they were of much poorer workmanship. These 
later bricks have crumbled or fallen from the building, leav¬ 
ing the east end open again, but the rest of the walls are 
still standing intact, although the roof and all of the wood 
work has disappeared by the ravages of time, which respect 
not even that which is holy and sanctified. These walls of 
the venerable sanctuary are covered with Virginia ivy, ex¬ 
cept that portion that was rebuilt. It shows a fine example 
of the difference in quality between the early masonry and 
the modern. 

The old Rehoboth church has been rebuilt about six times. 
It stands nearer the landing in the village of Rehoboth. Built 
by Francis Makemie nearly three hundred years ago, it is 
thought to be the first church erected on the Eastern Shore. 
At least it is the oldest Presbyterian Church in America. It 
was built while the Jamestown colony was still young, by 
the energetic, young Scotch-Irish exponent of religious lib¬ 
erty and freedom of conscience. This fact is easily proven 
by the existence of the neighboring church across the road. 
But this same man, with his broad-minded views, was ar¬ 
rested shortly after he arrived in America, while he was 
on a visit to New York. Here, during his trial, he made a 
very profound impression by his appeal for broad-minded 
views in religion and government. Even then the democracy 
of the South was contrasted with the hard, narrow arrogance 
of the Northern provinces. He was released after he had 
assured his audience that he would remain in the South. 
Then he returned to his church, where he named the place 
Rehoboth—“room for more.” The people of Snow Hill 
have claimed for many years that the Makemie Memorial 


Honoring the Mighty 


285 


Church is the older of the two, but they have utterly failed to 
establish their claim, because all important evidence is 
against them. 

As Senator Purnell viewed these ancient landmarks, and 
reviewed the history of their pastors and leaders; their prin¬ 
ciples; their morals; their physical endurance; and their 
noble sacrifices, he felt that the least he could do would be to 
propound and urge the practice of pure laws and statutes for 
the guidance of his constituency. He thought of his early 
trouble, of his sacrifices in order to gain the respect of his 
neighbors, then decided that his life had been infinitesimal in 
comparison to the lives of such men. He thought of the 
monument that was about to be unveiled; he wondered if he 
would be able to do anything worthy of even such a small 
honor. Then he remembered the greater monument that the 
man had built while still living. “What was he building ?” 
he asked himself. By untiring efforts; by unnumbered sac¬ 
rifices, Makemie had built seven churches in the evergreens: 
Rehoboth, Makemie Memorial, Manoken at Princess Anne, 
Pitts Creek at Pocomoke City, Buckingham at Berlin, Wico¬ 
mico at Salisbury, and the Church of the Forest, several 
miles east of Salisbury on the road to the Atlantic Ocean. It 
seems that that missionary took the great Paul of Tarsus as 
his example in theology and in constructing churches, for he 
built the seven churches of the evergreens, which stretched 
from Accomac to Salisbury, then across the entire peninsula 
to the Ocean. The Eastern Shore was a new Asia Minor to 
Makemie. 

The old Episcopal church of Rehoboth also became the 
mother of a church in each one of the above-named towns, 
but there is no record whatever of any trouble that arose 
between the churches of these two denominations. This 
seems to be proof contributed to the excellence and fineness 
of the men who became the leaders in this vast forest of 
evergreens and sluggish streams. It appears that these two 


286 The Gentleman From Maryland 

great religious branches worked side by side to conquer for 
Christ this portion of the Peninsula. 

After viewing these two edifices the party of the Senator 
resumed its journey to Makemie Park, where it arrived 
early in the afternoon. They found many people already 
assembled from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Penn¬ 
sylvania. The Senator soon renewed many old acquaint¬ 
ances and was ready for the chief oration of the day. 

That oration was destined to be remembered long upon 
these shores. The Gentleman from Maryland seemed to 
think that the reputation of his native state was being 
weighed. Would it be found wanting? Not if his influ¬ 
ence could aid it. As he took his place upon the speaker’s 
stand, cheer upon cheer greeted his ears. 

James had never been able to feel at ease in such posi¬ 
tions. He always envied those speakers who seemed to be 
cock sure of themselves as they faced their audiences with 
self-abandonment and great confidence in their powers to 
please. Try as hard as he might he was never able to imi¬ 
tate them in this. He always felt his limitations and in¬ 
ability to say and do the things that he always planned before 
time. For that reason his endings were always better than 
his beginnings, for as he warmed to his subject he forgot 
himself to a certain extent. At the beginning of his efforts, 
his audiences felt that he would not be very interesting, but 
they invariably were agreeably surprised before he got very 
far. It was especially the case on this occasion, but their 
hearty cheers seemed to encourage him greatly. The audi¬ 
ence is the better half of great orations. If they expect to 
hear something that will help them, they generally do. 

“My dear fellow countrymen,” he began, “we stand to-day 
upon very sacred ground; a spot made sacred because it 
covers the remains of a noble Prince of God and man. Al¬ 
though he is dead, his principles live on in this state and 
country. He stood for liberty in all activities in life, re- 


Honoring the Mighty 


287 


ligion, speech, press, government, and conscience. He up¬ 
held the hands of our first statesmen, like Hur of old, who 
were instrumental in making a Washington, a Henry, a Jack- 
son, a Lee, a Jefferson, a Monroe, a Madison, and many of 
like calibre; yet at the same time taking also the place of 
Aaron, for he was God’s spiritual representative. Hur had 
the support of Aaron, but he was alone. What do we more 
than these? Let us watch that we equal their efforts, for 
our nation is in great danger. Our principles, which were 
theirs, are being destroyed. The morals that have developed 
us are giving place to low, base practices introduced from 
southern Europe. The teachings of the man whom we have 
gathered to honor are being trampled under foot by the 
foreigner and the native who is easily influenced, because he 
cannot see. He has eyes, but he is blind. We have eyes; 
let us see what the days are bringing forth. We, in this 
section, do not feel these things so much, because these 
things have not invaded our section, but our lovely Balti¬ 
more, the queen of the Chesapeake, is being taken by storm, 
as are many other cities. The holy Sabbath is being de¬ 
stroyed there; the Anglo-Saxon name is being replaced by 
the unpronounceable name of the foreigner; no longer are 
the immigrants of kindred blood and ideals; but many of 
them are illiterate, immoral, unclean, superstitious, and igno¬ 
rant. They will become public charges or criminals. 

“These foreigners have introduced a very dangerous insti¬ 
tution. Although we have had it to a certain extent, in its 
present form it is truly foreign. Neither will it ever become 
naturalized. We don’t want it to be naturalized, for it is an 
outlaw. It is controlled and financed by the foreign distiller 
and brewer. I speak of the foreign saloon. Ninety-nine out 
of every one hundred are owned or operated by men of 
strange or unpronounceable names, who seem to think that 
the others are gone astray, for they are out on the search for 
them. They want to control them all, not for the same mo- 


288 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


tive that the shepherd wanted the stray sheep, but for their 
own profit. They are as thick as hops in the cities. This 
whole business is a foreign affair. Just a few years ago we 
got rid of the slavery of man’s body, a foreign institution 
that attacked us; now his body is being enslaved by a worse 
foreign evil. Spain frightened little Iceland into submitting 
to become a drunkard nation or a starved nation; Europe is 
now endeavoring to enslave our souls by the same methods, 
and many Americans are concurring with her for profit and 
pleasure. 

“And what, may I ask, is the cause of this? The answer 
can be stated in one word. Commercialism. Men are so 
anxious to gain the whole world at the expense of their 
souls that we are importing foreigners who know nothing 
faster than we can teach and naturalize them. Immigrants 
from northern Europe are educated and intelligent; they are 
quickly naturalized with little effort on our part, but the 
dangerous type are not being educated, for it is hard to teach 
old dogs new tricks. The home is in danger; trust in God 
is being destroyed, and the fundamental moralities, on which 
our civilization has been based, are being uprooted and cast 
aside. 

“The wonderful American home will soon pass into his¬ 
tory. The homes of the South that by discipline, honor, 
modesty, thrift, industry, and love of God, produced the men 
who have led our nation, are being discarded or called old- 
fashioned by the modern young wise-acres. Our girls are 
not guarded and kept spotless. Chivalry is passing, and with 
it honor of women. This folly is developing into a canker 
that will produce a plague. 

“A few days ago, in the city of Baltimore, I saw for the 
first time a ‘Ladies’ entrance’ sign upon the side of a foreign 
owned saloon. I said ‘That means the death of this demon.’ 
When we began to commercialize our race horses, we ended 
that sport. When we commercialize our fair women by ad- 


Honoring the Mighty 


289 


vertising them as they drink, or tempt others to drink, we 
degenerate as a nation, or we must destroy the canker. When¬ 
ever we advertise a beautiful girl smoking a cigar or cigarette 
as they do in Europe, we must destroy the practice to save 
our race. Dancing is being ruined by commercializing it. 
Baseball is being destroyed, especially for the refined ele¬ 
ment, as a noble pastime, by commercializing it. It is fast be¬ 
coming an institution of gambling. It is already spoken of as 
America’s Monte Carlo. It will soon be outlawed like horse 
racing. 

“And what is dancing, that agreeable and profitable pas¬ 
time, becoming? It has been rightly defined as working our 
bodies against the bodies of our partners, in order to ex¬ 
cite sexual desires, while we endeavor to do so to the rhythm 
of music. A good definition, but one that reveals the state 
into which our morals are falling. And the beautiful, young, 
innocent girl that dances into contact with the libertine who 
has invented the modern dance, soon ceases to be innocent 
or even beautiful. 

“We need an intense vision. Our pleasures are sapping 
the very foundations of our homes and nation. If we are to 
remain the light and hope of a lost world we must go right, 
for the world will force us to go with it if we do not force 
it to respect and follow us. 

“The male and female libertines are trying to destroy the 
home, the church, and the state by divorce, adultery, and dis¬ 
respect for laws, both moral and physical. The nation will 
suffer greatly if the home and church cease to teach the moral 
retribution of the Bible. The church must not fail to keep 
before the people the principles of Christ, or the world will 
become the most pitiable bankrupt. 

“The man whom we honor to-day called for the support of 
all men in teaching and observing these principles. His in¬ 
fluence was built upon those teachings. He succeeded be¬ 
cause he believed and practiced such doctrines and ideals; 


290 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


otherwise we would not be honoring him. How ridiculous 
would appear a gathering like this whose object was to 
honor a libertine, a free-lance, or a criminal. Such madness 
has never entered into the heart of even men of this type. 
I call then to-day upon you to support the principles for 
which this man spent his life in this region. I call upon you 
to uphold and support me and all public servants in their 
demands for the enforcement of laws. Pledge yourselves 
here, as I do, here upon this sacred spot, that you will renew 
your allegiance to the principles of your fore-fathers; to the 
principles that have made us a great nation; the principles of 
the Reverend Francis Makemie, and determine to show the 
foreigner that he is welcome in our “Land of the Free” if he 
is willing to abide by our laws. If not, he is not or never 
will be welcome. If he then thinks his is a better country, or 
if he believes his customs or morals are superior to ours, 
quietly but forcefully invite him to withdraw his presence 
from our abominable land, and return to his home and king. 
If he is a foreign diplomat he may be treated the same. We 
do not hear of the diplomats at Washington keeping slaves, 
or harems, or zenanas; for they would be an insult to our 
nation. Why should they disregard other laws that are as 
important to us. 

“I consider that you have done a most honorable and note¬ 
worthy service to our land by constructing this monument to 
a man whom all delight to honor. I wish all men and women 
of his mould might be so remembered.” 

When he sat down no one felt that he was a wizard or a 
prophet; they saw the common sense of his argument. They 
realized too, that he had spoken the truth. They had come 
to hear something good, and they had heard it. 


CHAPTER XXIV 


MISS ANNE AND MRS. MARAH 

Among those present who heard his remarks was the 
Senator's old friend, Mrs. Ward. She returned home over¬ 
flowing with praise for her friend. She soon called at his 
home, but was disappointed to find him away, although 
Katherine cordially invited her to enter and stay awhile. 
They entered the drawing room where they found Mrs. 
Marah seated by the window, with her sewing basket in her 
lap. Mrs. Ward had tried many times to become friendly 
with this person of mystery, and now seemed to be re¬ 
warded. She must be very careful, however, for even if 
Mrs. Marah was inclined to be talkative that day, it perhaps 
was because Katherine was present. Mrs. Ward decided to 
allow the other woman to do the talking, for on former visits 
she had been so thoughtless as to make some reference that 
seemed to seal the mouth of Mrs. Marah. Therefore she 
began the conversation on this occasion by addressing 
Katherine. 

“What did you think of your dad’s speech, honey ? ” 

“Well, some parts I liked, and some parts I didn’t,” Kath¬ 
erine frankly confessed. “Like his generation, he seems 
unable to appreciate the difference between his youth and 
ours.” 

It was the same excuse that the young have always given, 
and will give until Gabriel blows his horn. 

“Didn’t he speak truth? Of course he did,” replied Mrs. 
Ward. 

“It was the truth from his standpoint, as he sees it; but 
even if he is my father, and a fine one, too, I must take 


292 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


issue with him on some points. Now Mr. Whaley does not 
agree with him. He may be nearly as old in years, but he 
is as young as I am in ways, and he appreciates the pleasures 
of our time.” 

“You only mention him to rile me; you know I hate him.” 

“Why Miss Anne, I thought you liked everybody.” 

“Well, I must confess I have a right smart grudge against 
him for treating his mother like he does. A man who will 
not treat his mother well is a right poor specimen, I’m 
thinkin’.” 

During this time Mrs. Marah had not lifted her eyes 
from her sewing. 

Katherine laughed. “What harm has he ever done you, 
Miss Anne? You are like Mrs. Marah. Even she does not 
like him, although she hardly ever sees him, and never 
speaks to him. He thinks it is strange that she will not 
remain in the room long enough to speak to him.” 

“He never done me any harm, an’ he never done me any 
good, I reckon. A body needs to see him just once to 
know him. She’s a wise woman.” 

Still Mrs. Marah worked away, never deigning to take 
part in the conversation. 

Mrs. Ward then remarked to the older woman, “It’s a 
shame that you all did not hear James yesterday.” 

“Katherine has been telling me some of the things her 
father said, and I fully agree with him. Therefore, Kath¬ 
erine has put me in a class with him and you, because she 
says we are so in love with him that we see things as he does.” 

“I agree with him, all right,” said Mrs. Ward. “What 
are we to come to, anyhow? I could imagine Moses giving 
the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel on Mount 
Sin’i while he talked. I heard the idolater declarin’ he would 
worship what he pleased; I heard the thief sayin’ he would 
steal if he wanted to. The unbeliever said he didn’t care 
for the Sabbath. The young upstart said he wouldn’t honor 


Miss Anne and Mrs . Marah 


293 


his old-fashioned parents. He said They don’t know 
nothin’. The blasphemer swore at God and Moses. The 
libertine said T would like to see any old fogy control my 
desires, Moses can’t do it.’ The murderer said, Til croak 
him if he interferes with me.’ The liar said Til lie as often 
as I please.’ The selfish gent said he would wish for and 
take what he could get. And all these formed a society what 
they called the ‘Commandment Breakers.’ The original 
members never got out of the Wilderness, but the society 
still exists, an’ it don’t lack for members right here in 
Snow Hill. Some of them are so hard that they wouldn’t 
die if the Lord led them for forty years through a wilder¬ 
ness.” 

“Do you think daddy was fair with dancers ? ” asked 
Katherine. 

“I reckon he was. Women are queer creatures. They all 
say they don’t dance to be near men, yet the man who has 
the nerve to hold them the tightest is the most popular 
dancer. Women go wild over the man who is known to be 
fast. No wonder nice boys are scarce. They see it don’t 
pay to be nice; for the girls want the other kind, and a 
woman can get what she wants.” 

“That’s not so, Miss Anne, we do like nice boys.” 

“You don’t show it then. There’s some around here, but 
they stand no chance. Not that I can see anyhow, and my 
eyes is pretty good yet. Girls say they hate the modern 
dances, but they all do it, you bet.” 

“They do it because everybody else does,” defended Kath¬ 
erine. “They don’t want to be wall flowers.” 

“I know what you all say. There must be somethin’ else 
about it that is attractive. Girls of my day were modest. 
Why you seldom see a girl blush any more. There is nothin’ 
that will cause blushes, for experience has destroyed that 
attraction. Don’t you think so, Mrs. Marah?” 

She had addressed Mrs. Marah several times before this; 


294 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


but that lady refused to be drawn into the conversation. 
When Mrs. Ward had gone she said to Katherine, “Miss 
Anne certain is abrupt, but I like her.” 

“Everybody does, we don’t take her seriously.” 

“No, Katherine, but you ought to. Young people are not 
like they should be, and I am afraid that men are losing 
their respect for girls and women. I believe we have no 
one to blame but ourselves. Men want women to be of 
two classes. When they are not serious they like to play 
with the class that will permit it; but when they become 
serious they want their life partner to be of the pure, modest, 
reserved type. Some women make the mistake that they 
must please all, and I am glad that there are some that are 
demanding of men the same standards that men demand 
of them.” 

This was the longest speech that Katherine had ever heard 
Mrs. Marah make. The woman herself seemed somewhat 
surprised that she had so freely expressed herself, especially 
as Jane and the Senator entered as she was concluding. She 
arose, looked in a peculiar manner at Katherine, threw a 
hasty glance at the Senator, and quickly left the room. 

After watching her disappear so precipitately the Senator 
told Katherine that they must begin to make plans for their 
return to Washington. In a short time the county elections 
would be held; then they would leave for another winter. 

The elections that fall were to be very important; they 
were to decide by vote whether Maryland would continue 
to tolerate the saloon. Until the hour for the opening of 
the voting places Senator Purnell had said nothing. Instead 
he believed that it would be more politic to allow the leaders 
to believe that he was opposed to voting out the saloon. 
That would throw the whiskey ring off their guard com¬ 
pletely. He felt that by revealing his plan he might defeat 
his purpose. He therefore decided to rely upon the strength 


Miss Anne and Mrs. Marah 


295 


of his influence. He was also somewhat afraid of the 
growing power of the People’s Party. 

From one end of the Shore to the other the women 
held rallies and parades during which they displayed banners 
by which they appealed to the voters to defeat the power of 
the whiskey people. They were aided by thousands of 
school-children and many men who professed to be Chris¬ 
tians, but who generally voted to enrich their pocket-books 
or to increase their influence. The efforts put forth by the 
women were so sincere, however, that the People’s Party, 
in order to gain adherents from the ranks of the righteous, 
had pledged themselves in favor of prohibition. 

The excitement, therefore, was at its highest pitch just 
before the polls were opened. Many of the leading men con¬ 
sciously believed that the closing of the saloons on the 
Eastern Shore would spell ruin to that section by veering 
business to other quarters of the shore. But the Senator 
had studied the problem as it was presented in the states 
of Maine and Kansas. He knew better than to believe the 
propaganda that he read daily in the liquor soaked papers 
that issued from the presses of Baltimore. Less than an 
hour before the opening of the polls on the Eastern Shore 
of Maryland every county leader received a telegram from 
the Gentleman from Maryland instructing him to see that 
all Democrats voted for the amendment to close the saloons 
of that vast peninsula. It was a great surprise to these 
leaders, but they dared not disobey. The Senator had not 
given the enemy any time to institute forceful resistance, 
and the day’s results proved that James had been right again. 
In taking a great chance he had closed thousands of saloons 
in his district. It also proved that he was a great student 
of human nature. 

This measure gained for him many enemies who now 
joined the People’s Party, in spite of the fact that they had 
pledged themselves to do just what he had done. In Balti- 


296 The Gentleman From Maryland 

more city the men who had been disappointed allied them¬ 
selves with the Republicans. The hatred which Whaley 
already bore the Senator was greatly intensified because this 
new measure compelled him to close his saloon at least ap¬ 
parently. His stand at the corner of Market and Washington 
streets had long been the rendezvous of his friends who had 
succeeded in capturing several of the minor offices of the 
county through the success of the People’s Party. His 
influence had been instrumental in destroying the Jim Crow 
law in that part of Maryland, which he had introduced in 
the State legislature. Therefore he had gained many Negro 
voters for the new party in spite of the fact that he had been 
the father of the law. To the Negroes he also promised 
offices. These promises were never kept, because not even 
the People’s Party would have dared to take such action, 
although a Negro was made assistant superintendent of 
Negro schools, but he was so ignorant that he could not 
even fill out the charts that were required of him in his line 
of duty. 

But Whaley determined to break his enemy’s pride if he 
could not break his spirit. He waited a favorable oppor¬ 
tunity; he laid out his plans of attack, with intricate detail, 
in order to safely strike a telling blow. His opportunity 
knocked at his door about one year later. 

The next fall, when the Senator and his family returned 
to Snow Hill James found things in a very unsatisfactory 
condition. “Bootlegging” existed everywhere; drunkards 
seemed to be more numerous than ever; Whaley openly 
boasted that the Senator had failed and openly sold whiskey 
in his “rick” shop. Even the majority of the citizens were 
convinced that the old condition was the more desirable. 
They believed that the new condition was creating law 
breakers, but they forgot that every law that ever had been 
enacted for the control of the saloon had been absolutely 
disregarded by the saloon men. They were already law 


Miss Anne and Mrs . Marah 


29 7 


breakers, but now they were more bold because they felt 
that they had the favor of the respectful element, who talked 
too much without knowing their subject. Yet Senator Pur¬ 
nell refused to be beaten. He knew, with many other 
thoughtful men, that extraordinary efforts were being made 
to evade the law. Even his own daughter took issue against 
him by continuing to debate the question with him. Of 
course he knew who it was that furnished her with her argu¬ 
ments, but he never mentioned his name. 

A few days after his return several business men visited 
the home of Senator Purnell. They came from the mining 
sections of Pennsylvania in order to buy the pine timber 
of this region for mine props. That great mining state had 
exhausted its own supply of timber; it was now seeking 
everywhere for props to use in its vast coal mines. As the 
coal is mined out it is necessary for the miners to prop up 
the roof of the mine with these heavy timbers. Therefore 
the “woods of Birnam is being moved to Dunsinane” in a 
literal sense. The pine timbers of the “Land of the Ever¬ 
greens” are being buried under hill, dale and town of Penn¬ 
sylvania. These purchasing agents buy all trees, which are 
more than eight inches in diameter, which are then cut and 
shipped to the mines. This industry had become the leading 
source of revenue for the farmers, for there was an enor¬ 
mous quantity of pine in this region. 

These merchants came to see Senator Purnell because they 
had been informed that he had a vast tract of timber in the 
Nassawadox forest. In this tract was situated the Nassa- 
wadox Iron Furnace, which had been one of the Shores’ 
first industries. It had formerly been owned and operated 
by a company from Princess Anne, but owing to the fact 
that the ore found in the bogs of the region was of such a 
poor quality that it cost more than it was worth to separate it 
from the impurities, this furnace had not been operated for 
many years. The old brick stack may still be seen standing 


298 The Gentleman From Maryland 

in the forest surrounding by the ruins and debris of the old 
village. The scene has become one of great interest to 
visitors and travelers to this vicinity on account of the 
amount of romance that surrounds it. When this property 
was advertised for sale Senator Purnell, and a group of 
men from Snow Hill, bought it for the timber that grew 
there in abundance. 

The Senator invited several of these owners to accompany 
the party on a tour of inspection before they bought the 
rights to the timber. In fact they made a sort of a picnic 
of the trip. But after they had arrived at their destination 
the Senator was surprised that these men from the neigh¬ 
boring state had brought whiskey with them, which they 
offered to share with him. He gracefully refused it, not 
because of any desire to be unsocial (he realized that they 
did not recognize the fact that they were breaking the law 
by bringing whiskey into dry territory) but because of the 
influence such an act would have upon the younger members 
of his party. Therefore he did not acquiesce to their wish, 
but Walter Whaley, who was not nearly so scrupulous, 
having taken advantage of the opportunity several times, was 
fast approaching a state of irresponsibility in spite of the 
fact that there were several ladies present with the group, 
one of these being Katherine Purnell, whom he had ac¬ 
companied. 

While Senator Purnell and his guests were examining 
the timber tract someone suggested that a fire be made in 
the old furnace stack. This was a thing easily accomplished 
with the vast quantity of seasoned wood from the ruins of* 
the old houses, but when it was made the young men were 
not satisfied. They continued to pile on the wood until they 
had a terrific blaze in the ancient, but grand, fire-place. The 
day was somewhat cool and those who stood around in the 
damp atmosphere of the forest rode their horses as near as 
possible in order to feel the heat. 


Miss Anne and Mrs. Mar ah 


299 


Suddenly there was a loud roar as a large portion of the 
inner part of the great stack of bricks collapsed. The terrific 
heat of the fire below was more than it could stand after so 
many years of disuse. This sudden roar and accompanying 
flash frightened the horse on which Whaley was sitting, and 
caused the frightened animal to flee from danger. It was 
impossible for Whaley, in his condition, to control the horse 
in its headlong dash, but he clung to the horn of his saddle 
as he reeled from side to side. He almost lost his position 
as the horse made the sharp turn into the road leading to 
Snow Hill. 

Realizing the dangerous plight of Whaley in his condition 
Katherine asked the men who were near her if one of them 
would not follow the runaway, but they merely laughed. 
They felt that Whaley could take care of himself. When she 
saw that they did not intend to follow him she sprang into 
her saddle with the abandon of a rough-rider, and spurred 
her horse after the departing runaway at a break-neck speed. 
It seemed to the girl that she would never overtake the run¬ 
ning horse, but finally the two horses were running neck and 
neck together. For the first time in her life Katherine was 
disgusted with her riding companion. She seized the reins 
of the frightened animal, threw all her weight against the bit, 
and, checking her own horse at the same time, she brought 
them to a stop. Her eflfort nearly unseated her, but she was 
saved by her knowledge and skill as an expert equestrienne. 

The two riders had just emerged from the woods when 
she checked them. Whaley was without hat, but seemed 
somewhat sobered. As Katherine got control of her horse, 
she remarked in an icy tone, “Do you think you can ride 
him back to the others, or shall I lead him ? ” 

“Let’s not do either one; I’ve been a fool to act as I have 
today. If I return they will laugh at me. You return if 
you wish, but I would be more than pleased to have you 
continue with me. It is getting late, and they will soon be 


300 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


returning, anyhow. You can stop to visit mother until the 
rest return; I have something to show you.” 

“But Daddy might be worried.” 

“Oh, no. He knows you better than that. It is not you 
who were in danger.” 

They rode along at a slow canter until they reached 
Whaley’s home, where a Negro servant took charge of their 
horses. They immediately entered the house. 

When they reached the second story, where the family 
lived, they were greeted by Mrs. Whaley, an elderly, feeble 
lady, who now came forward to lead the way to the parlor, 
which faced Market street and the Court House. Mrs. 
Whaley was a very quiet lady, kind and pleasant to everyone, 
a woman who had never done anything wrong in her life, 
except when she married Walter’s father. This act she 
repented many times; but she loved her son, her only child, 
with an intense love, and, like all mothers, recognized no 
fault in him. He now jokingly told her about their wild 
dash through the forest; how Katherine aided him in 
stopping his horse, but he failed to mention the reason he 
had been unable to stop it or to manage it. He then turned 
to the safe which stood in the alcove of the room, covered by 
a portiere curtain, and returned with a beautifully engraved 
box. His mother seemed to know his intentions, for she 
immediately left the two young people together. Walter 
explained that the box was made of sandal-wood; that it 
was hand engraved, and that he had gotten it from a second¬ 
hand jeweler, who had a shop on Race street in Philadelphia. 

“While I was walking up that street a few years ago,” 
Whaley said, “I noticed an old sea-captain enter this shop. 
Knowing the life of the sailors, and that they often sell 
valuable things which they pick up on voyages, I reckoned 
that he had something to sell instead of desiring to buy 
anything. I stepped into the store just in time to hear his 
price for this box. He had picked it up on one of his trips 


Miss Anne and Mrs. Marah 


301 


to Australia. He asked twenty-five dollars for it, but the 
Jewish merchant told him that it was not worth the price. 
To the surprise of the merchant the captain turned to leave 
the store. Then stepping up to him I offered to purchase the 
box for his price, which he immediately took. It is worth 
many times that price, for when the merchant saw me pur¬ 
chase it he followed me from his store as he offered me 
more than the captain had asked him for it.” 

“What are you going to do with it ? ” Katherine inquired. 

“I’m going to keep my jewelry in it.” 

“I didn’t know you liked to have jewelry.” 

“I believe you would like to have it.” 

“It would look better in my room than in yours. I have 
never seen such a beautiful piece of work.” 

The box truly was exquisite. It was of a yellow color, 
grained, and very highly polished. It was carved in many 
fantastic figures, and emitted a peculiarly pleasing odor that 
seemed to fill the whole room. 

“You claim that I don’t like jewelry; you ought to see 
what’s inside of that box.” 

She tried to open it, but was unable, for it was locked 
with a very small lock. When he had opened it for her she 
was surprised at what it contained. 

Seeing her amazement Whaley heightened it by saying, 
“That box and its contents are for the finest girl in old 
Worcester.” 

“You might make it more interesting by enlarging the 
territory to conform with the general statement.” 

“Well, in the whole world then.” 

“That is more like it; for it is just as hard to guess who 
she might be now as it was before.” 

“You might guess at least.” 

“I can’t think, to save my life, who it might be.” 

“It seems to me you are not thinking very hard.” 

“I thought you hated women.” 


302 The Gentleman From Maryland 

“I do, in general. There are just three that I do not 
hate. Mother is one of them, Mrs. Jane Purnell, and you 
are the third.” 

Katherine’s face had turned almost scarlet. She very 
seldom permitted herself to be surprised into a blush, but 
she realized for the first time in her life that her former 
companion now looked upon her as no longer a child, but 
a woman. He was no longer interested in her as an in¬ 
quisitive school girl; he was in love with her. She did not 
know whether to feel injury or honored. He had said 
nothing that might offend her; but somehow, she felt that 
if a younger man had said it, she might have felt differently 
about it. She felt that she must say something, but, for 
once, she lacked an answer. 

“Am I one of the few exceptions ? ” she found herself 
saying. 

“You are; I might say that I have trained you to my 
views. Girls are becoming so frivolous; they cannot appre¬ 
ciate quality in anything. I have often shown that box, but 
to all that have seen it, it appeared as nothing but a piece 
of wood. They seemed interested in it only as a box that 
might contain valuable gems or jewelry. The box was 
nothing. Their first question was, ‘What is in it ? ’ Why, 
I could tell as soon as you saw it that you knew the value 
of the box. And you wanted it without knowing that there 
was anything in it.” 

“How could they fail ? Why, look at that diamond.” She 
pointed to a glittering stone in the center of the lid. “That 
certainly is a diamond,” she said. “And those stones sur¬ 
rounding it must be emeralds and sapphires. The clasp and 
the lock are of silver, and these bands that are inlaid around 
the ends are of gold. I don’t see how they could miss its 
value.” 

“Nothing is of value to them that they can’t wear. They 
saw nothing but a common box; they did not realize that a 


Miss Anne and Mrs. Mar ah 


303 


precious stone might be set in this wood. They have lost the 
art of appreciating that which is artistic. They are rapidly 
losing all the finer qualities of womanhood. Their manners 
are abominable, and their dress is worse. Their styles are 
borrowed from the aborigines, and they had rather die than 
be caught out of style. Very seldom a woman appears who 
might be called stylish. They are in style, perhaps, but that 
is all they care for. They generally wear their clothes with¬ 
out any distinction whatever. They are not individual; they 
are conglomerated. When you have seen one, you have seen 
all. When you have heard one speak, you have heard all. 
They hope in terms of money, they think in terms of money, 
and they pray in terms of money. The fine spirit of sacrifice, 
that made your mother and my mother the women they are 
is altogether missing. And if they fail to marry money, they 
seek the man who has it and will spend it upon them after 
they are married to another. Of course the men are no 
better in this particular, for as long as a woman seeks she 
will find. Don’t blame the boys and girls for being incor¬ 
rigible, blame the parents. You can read a great deal about 
the evil young people written by adults that are afraid the 
parents will retaliate if these writers place the blame where 
it belongs. They do not fear the young, for they don’t stop 
long enough to read the articles.” 

“You must remember, Mr. Whaley, that I have no 
mother.” 

“Well, you had one, and she must have been a fine one to 
leave you such a heritage.” 

“You know I often wonder who my parents were. I 
wonder if I am like my mother or father. Daddy Purnell 
has promised to tell me some day who my parents were. I 
can’t imagine why he does not do so, unless he thinks it is 
to my advantage not to know. He has always thought of 
my happiness.” 


304 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“He will tell you when you are ready to marry; you are 
rapidly approaching that period now.” 

“Do you think anybody would marry me without knowing 
who my mother is ? ” 

“I would.” 

A deep flush again passed over her face, but it was gone 
in an instant. He now rang a bell and a servant entered 
carrying a tray, upon which were two glasses and a decanter 
of wine. There was also a plate containing cake. Katherine 
very seldom drank wine, but this was one of the times that 
she did not refuse. Had he not promised the box and its 
contents to her? They both drank some wine, then re¬ 
sumed the conversation while eating the cake. Whaley was 
the first to speak. 

“Those who have seen this box before have never shown 
enough interest in it to warrant my opening it for their 
curiosity. Of course these pearls were not bought with the 
box. I have added them since. But, with the exception of 
my mother, you are the first woman who has seen them. Let 
me put them around your neck.” 

Katherine made no objection to this service. As he 
clasped it around her neck a small pendant glided down her 
white bosom. It was in the shape of a small star, in the 
center of which there was a brilliant diamond. The whole 
outer edge was set with small diamonds, which were very 
close together. As he clasped it he allowed his hand to 
leisurely rest upon her flesh, and he passed his fingers 
through her golden hair. Then he looked at the star as it 
raised and lowered upon her rapidly heaving breast. 

He had drunk several glasses of wine before this. “You 
are my star; my precious pearl,” he said, “permit me to 
touch with my lips the spot where this star first rested.” He 
stooped and touched her flesh with his lips. Then he fell 
upon his knees before her. 

“I know I am not worthy,” he said, “I know many younger 


Miss Anne and Mrs. Mar ah 


305 


men have asked for your favors, but I am wealthy, and I can 
love as strongly as any of them. All that I have is yours. 
These pearls, a small fortune in themselves, are yours. All 
that I have, or ever hope to have, is yours alone. And I 
shall be as kind tp you, and ask no more of you than I have 
ever asked. Only become my bride, my darling, and all is 
yours. You will have to work with a young husband for 
many years to get what I have to give immediately. This 
all is yours for the taking; it is yours from this day.” 

“Won’t the world say of me what you have just said of 
other women; that I think only of money? ” 

“They already say that; but it is not so of you. Anyhow, 
even if I am old, you will never be tempted from me by 
anyone who can give you more than I; they haven’t it to 
give.” 

“Don’t be too sure of that,” she said, laughing. 

“But I am sure of it. These others do wrong for nothing 
but money.” 

“That is true. I could have married long ago, but I had 
no name to offer a husband but Purnell. They all know that 
is not my name. I was afraid that they might some day 
reproach me for it. I am even afraid that you might.” 

“They may care, but I do not. I will give you a name 
just as old, and just as good as any that exists. I care 
nothing for what your name is or has been; I care for you, 
my star, my pearl, my priceless. I shall give all that I 
possess for you.” 

She was very quiet for some time, then she said, “I believe 
I will do it. You have always proven a gentleman and a 
very kind protector for me. But what will Daddy Purnell 
say? You know he is your political enemy.” 

“I know it, and I am sorry; but this will end our enmity. 
I believe he will cease to be my enemy when I have had a 
talk with him.” 

Whaley very wisely did not press her any further at that 


306 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


time. He proved an experienced and tried lover, and left 
the pearls around her neck. He arose and started from the 
room, apparently in search of his mother; but in a moment 
he returned in a very excited mood. 

“Someone is fighting downstairs; let's lock the door. We 
want no one to mar our happiness for this moment." 

“Who can it be; I can’t tell for the world of me!’’ 

“Only some foolish boys, I reckon, who have drunk too 
much. I have kept some ever since prohibition came into 
effect here. But why should Marylanders stop selling while 
other states are doing so? Sometimes my clerk treats his 
friends to too much of it. I have told him it is a very foolish 
thing to do." 

“I really must go, Mr. Whaley. Daddy will return home 
and will worry if I am not there." 

“Don’t go yet; we can see him as he passes down the 
street. They have not gone yet, for I told Alec to call me 
when he saw them returning." 

“Maybe Alec has been scared away by the fight down 
stairs." 

“It is more likely that he is in the fight; he likes nothing 
better." 


CHAPTER XXV 


THE SENATOR AND THE RAIDERS 

When the Senator and his guests returned to the Furnace 
he found great excitement there. After they had told of the 
runaway he immediately started for home. But the men 
had been out in the forest for over two hours, consequently 
they saw no trace of the two riders until he reached Wash¬ 
ington and Market Streets. There he saw Katherine’s horse 
tied to a post, and on the steps, the Negro hostler. 

“Are Miss Purnell and Mr. Whaley here ? ” he asked the 
boy, Alec. 

“Yas, Suh. Day’s done ben heah ovah two hours. An’ 
de boss say he return in a few minutes. He ain’t back yit.” 

“Was he brought here hurt? ” 

“Naw, Suh, ah reckon he wahn’t; least ways he didn’t 
seem like it.” 

“Where is he now, Alec.” 

“In dare. De agents hab him, I reckon.” 

“What agents?” 

“Dem probation agents. Day’s in dar now.” 

The Senator opened the door, but met one of the offi¬ 
cers, who had raided Whaley’s store. Even though the sa¬ 
loons had been closed many of the stores sold whiskey and 
rick very freely. The agent recognized Purnell and admitted 
him without question. Then he told the Senator that sev¬ 
eral men had been caught drinking, but they had fought 
them and several had escaped. “The rest,” he said, “are in a 
back room, but the officers are in the cellar searching for 
more. I am guarding this door to see that no one leaves 
the place. We think that Whaley, himself, is here some¬ 
where.” 


308 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“Thank God,” thought the Senator, “they have not sus- 
picioned anyone upstairs. Perhaps I can get Katherine out 
of here without anyone seeing her.” 

In the hall he met the chief raider. “Can’t you call this 
off, Onley? ” he asked. 

“Why ? ” the officer asked suspiciously. 

“Because my daughter is visiting Mrs. Whaley, and she 
might become involved.” The Senator was frank with him. 

“No, Senator, I can’t. The boys wouldn’t stand for it; 
they’re after Whaley.” 

“Now, look here, you might lose your job; but I have 
better ones for you. Whaley is my enemy too, Onley. But 
to-day he was riding with my daughter. His horse ran away 
and she followed him here. I do not know which one is hurt, 
and perhaps lying somewhere in this house.” 

“If it wasn’t your daughter, would you reward me for 
neglecting my duty ? ” 

“No, I reckon not. Go ahead with your work.” 

“Go upstairs and look for her. My men are in the cellar. 
I will let you out if you find her in time.” 

The Senator bounded up the stairs. While he stood on the 
landing getting his bearings he heard his daughter’s voice in 
the room to his left. 

“Don’t come near me,” she said, half in jest. 

The Senator stood transfixed in horror. He recognized 
some threat, some fright, in the voice, but what chilled his 
soul was the unmistakable element of jest which the tone 
indicated. 

The deeper voice of Whaley answered, full of assurance 
and possession now, “Oh, you don’t mean that, after what 
you have promised me.” 

Purnell tried to push open the door, but it was locked. 
Then he thought of the agents. He looked down the stairs 
and saw Onley watching him. The officer rushed up the 
steps, grabbed a chair, and hurled it through the panel of 


The Senator and The Raiders 


309 


the door; then he unlocked the door by reaching through to 
the key inside. 

When they entered the room they found the decanter half 
empty, and the two empty glasses which had been used. 
Whaley, now intoxicated, stood in one corner of the room 
from which he looked arrogantly at the men. In another 
corner Katherine crouched, the flush of wine upon her fine 
face and in her beautiful eyes. The string of pearls, with 
their pendant, still glittered from her breast and neck. 

The Gentleman from Maryland was in a greater rage than 
he had ever suffered before. He plunged toward Whaley, 
but the officer caught him by the arm. With great difficulty 
he restrained him while he demanded of Whaley: 

“Have you taught her to drink, too ? ” 

“She already knew the art; you keep it at your home, don’t 
you?” 

“Certainly I do; but for my guests. We never use it our¬ 
selves.” 

“Why should your guests fare better or worse than your 
daughter ? ” 

“Even if she did drink sometimes at home is no reason 
for your bringing her here to drink in this hole.” 

“Don’t throw insults at your daughter’s future home.” 

“Future home! What do you mean ? ” With a curse he 
lunged at Whaley once more, but Onley again hindered him. 
“Don’t tell me you have degraded her so that there is noth¬ 
ing for her to do but to become your wife. You claimed 
to be protecting. I might have known you were up to some 
of your infernal rascality. I could kill you with my own 
hands.” 

“Don’t misunderstand me, Purnell. I have protected her; 
so well, in fact, that she still desires my protection. She has 
just promised to be my wife, and we were celebrating when 
you all interrupted.” 


310 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“You mean that you have bought her and her honor with 
riches gained by breaking the law; you D-” 

He could get no farther. He looked helplessly at his 
child, a child no longer. She dropped her eyes to the pearls 
which she was fondling. Then he found his voice again. 
With a few tender words he aided her to get into her coat 
and hat, and helped her down the stairs. 

When they reached the street he ordered the hostler to 
send the horses around to the house; he then led Katherine 
home to the mansion that had been her home for so long. 
As they neared the entrance he spoke to her for the first 
time since they left Whaley’s: “Would to God that woman 
waiting for us had been my wife when I found you; then 
you would have had a mother who would have saved you 
from this day’s experience.” 

As Katherine entered the door, the tears streaming down 
her cheeks, Mrs. Marah met her, and conducted her up¬ 
stairs. James ipet his wife at the entrance to the drawing 
room. When they had entered he told her all that had hap¬ 
pened. Then he added, as if to himself: “Would she have 
submitted ? Has she done so before ? What will be the fate 
of our young people? Writers say that the girl who is being 
criticised to-day will be the mother of the generation of to¬ 
morrow. But what will be the condition of that generation? 
If they see their parents breaking the laws of the nation and 
of God, how will they know that they should keep any laws?” 

His wife quietly answered, “Don’t forget, James, that you 
have done the best you could. She is not your own flesh and 
blood; therefore she might lack the governing influence of a 
good heredity. If that is lacking the moral fight is very 
difficult. But you are not to blame.” 

“My dear Jane, you are always right, but to-day I can’t 
agree with you. Everywhere I go I see the best people let¬ 
ting down the bars of morality. Things that would not have 
been tolerated in the privacy of the parlor a few years ago 



The Senator and The Raiders 


311 


are openly indulged in before the public by girls, without 
blush or shame. Men are losing all honor for girls. As 
women gain power and position in business and politics they 
lose power over men normally, and their greatest of charms 
is disappearing. The disasters of Rome, and Greece, and 
Babylon, and France and Spain will be repeated in America, 
unless the power of God again grips the hearts of men and 
women.” 

His wife was speaking; it seemed to him like a prophecy, 
“You are discouraged because you think you have not seen 
your efforts reap the rewards expected. You see your pet 
law fail in your own town; even in your own family. Pro¬ 
hibition has not, and cannot bring lasting benefit while it 
exists locally. It must be nation-wide.” 

“I have been told that often; yet I have felt that each 
community has the right to decide that for itself.” 

“Is that the way slavery was ended? Was that not the 
very thing that proved to the nation that communities could 
never end the evil? It is the same with prohibition. When 
a community does decide, what can the people do? We are 
hopeless, because that portion of us who love their whiskey 
and wine will always keep it. They must not get it. It must 
be destroyed absolutely by an amendment to the constitution. 
Then if it is bought, made, or sold the man who does it will 
become a traitor.” 

“Don’t be so extreme, Jane. We can never rid this vast 
nation of this course. We can only hope to rid those sections 
where a great Christian element exists. My friend from 
Minnesota has attempted to convince some of us that we can 
do just such a thing, but we have persuaded him that the time 
is not right for such a measure.” 

“My dear, we can do it. The same charge was made con¬ 
cerning the conditions before the Civil War. Compromise 
after compromise was made, allowing slavery to exist in 
spots and sections. But Lincoln foresaw what this would 


312 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


engender. Therefore he said, This nation cannot exist part 
slave and part free.’ We cannot exist part wet and part 
dry.” 

“Honey, you talk just like my friend from Minnesota. He 
spoke almost the same words. He will attempt to have the 
constitution amended this fall, and I have been wondering 
how I shall vote.” 

“Vote like you have always voted; for that which is right.” 

“I foresee trouble; New England will oppose it.” 

“New England is only a spot; they have opposed every 
good movement of our nation except slavery. The reason 
that they did not oppose that was because they were not 
profiting by the system. They still blame us severely for 
opposing the movement to end it. That section was in favor 
of England enforcing the Writs of Assistance before the 
Revolution, and while England was protecting us from 
France the New Englander provided the French in Canada 
and the West Indies with supplies. Again during the Revo¬ 
lution they supplied the English army in that region, and 
threatened to withdraw support from Washington because 
their commerce was being destroyed. Then in 1812 they 
actually held a convention at which they threatened to set 
up a separate government, because their ships were halted 
and money ceased to flow into their pockets from the British. 
In 1860 they helped to destroy the doctrine of State’s Rights. 
They cannot appeal to that principle now. If they secede, we 
will force them back as they forced the South back sometime 
ago.” 

“You would not advocate war again, would you ? ” 

“If it were necessary to save the constitution, for we 
stand or fall by that great document. It may come to that. 
As a woman, I hate war; but also as a woman I love the 
souls of my fellow-men. We have freed their bodies by 
war; we may have to free their souls by war.” 

“My friend from Minnesota has stated that we may de- 


The Senator and The Raiders 


313 


pend upon the West and the South. I hope that is so; still 
I have not fully decided to take such desperate measures.” 

“Do not fail your old State, James. Maryland has been 
the key that locked or unlocked the door of our Nation on 
many occasions. Maryland refused to sign the Articles of 
Confederation until all claim to the western territories was 
given up by the other colonies that desired to hold it. That 
vast region became new states. The West owes us that. 
Maryland boys fired the first shot in the two of our wars; 
they saved the Capitol on two occasions. You have seen the 
monument that marks the spot where two brave boys defied 
the British army as it was marching through Baltimore. 
Maryland took the lead in electing judges by electoral votes, 
giving rise to the precedent for electing presidents in the 
same way. No one would have that condition changed. 
Maryland was the first state that gave religious freedom to 
all bodies, even though the Catholics, who have been maligned 
for unfairness, were supreme here without showing any 
tendency whatever to force others to worship contrary to 
their convictions. Now let Maryland stand firm for no 
halfway measures in this all-important movement that will 
be launched from the Northwest. You can control Mary¬ 
land’s voters.” 

“I may be able to control those of the state, but I can do 
nothing with those of Baltimore City. Even if I could, do 
you think I ought ? ” 

“Yes, you must. This peninsula is a land of widows and 
orphans. There are more widows from Wilmington to Cape 
Charles than in any other section with equal population. The 
reasons for this lie in the facts that we are surrounded by 
water on which a great portion of the inhabitants make their 
livings. These waters take a great toll of lives of those who 
venture upon them in an intoxicated condition. The fisher¬ 
men and the oystermen are the chief sufferers in this. 
Then the railroad passes from one end of the land to the 


314 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


other. There is a branch line that follows the Atlantic side 
for a great distance, running parallel to the main line. Be¬ 
sides these there are several branches that cross the land 
from the Chesapeake Bay to the ocean, with many connect¬ 
ing lines to the different cities. These all are operated by 
men who live on the peninsula. We will continue to make 
widows at an increasing rate if we do not have sober crews 
on the trains and the boats, steamers, fishing smacks, and 
oyster dredgers.” 

“Your arguments are strong, but you have failed to solve 
one problem. What will we do with Baltimore ? ” 

“You politicians will have to solve that problem, and I be¬ 
lieve you can do it.” 

“I will attempt it; but it may cost me my office.” 

“Knowing you as I do, Senator James, I know you will 
quickly sacrifice your office for the advancement of the best 
interests of your State and Nation.” 

“If only the sacrifice will bring good I will not hesitate, but 
the power of control of this ‘Land of the Evergreens’ might 
pass to the city of Baltimore, and that means the foreigner 
in Maryland will control the rest of us. However, in a few 
weeks, we shall see what can be done. But we have talked 
long, and must retire now, for to-morrow is a holiday, you 
know, and we must be prepared to go to the swamp.” 

“I think I will go up to Katherine’s room; you were not 
severe with her, were you James? ” 

“I couldn’t be; she is a woman, you know. But sometimes 
I feel that a good shake would dislodge some of her wilful 
determination to have her own way.” 

“I think you are somewhat of that nature yourself, but I 
reckon your wilfulness is mostly spent in the proper direc¬ 
tion.” 

Jane then went to Katherine’s room, but the girl was ap¬ 
parently asleep. She returned without disturbing her. 

A trip to the great river swamp was made every year on 


The Senator and The Raiders 


315 


the thirtieth day of October. The inhabitants of the nearby 
towns assembled early in the day in order to look for “tea” 
berries which grow here in great abundance along the banks 
of the Pocomoke River. No one started to look for the 
berries until the crowd had assembled and the different par¬ 
ties grouped under leaders, who agreed upon the conditions 
and the rules that were to govern the search. The morning 
was well advanced when those from a distance arrived. Yet 
it took some time to arrange spreads and blankets over the 
forest’s natural carpet of pine shatters on which was then 
placed the food for the great picnic. Sometimes the woods 
appeared to be a great county fair, for often over three 
thousand people would meet. Of course only the younger 
people joined in the search and the other more active 
pleasures of the day. The older ones prepared the things 
that satisfy the craving of the sweet tooth, and the palate, 
especially after strenuous exercise under the Southern sun 
of a day in Autumn. It was the one day in the year that 
everybody sat or reclined at a common table, and this tended 
to increase the hospitality of these already hospitable people. 
Every family took more than it could consume in two days, 
therefore, there was always enough for the stranger or the 
visitor who brought nothing, and no one was permitted to 
pass without being urged to join the picnickers. It is un¬ 
necessary to add that there were very few who rejected the 
invitation. 

Early in the morning, before the sun arose, all of the 
maidens of the community went in search for snails, which 
they intrusted to tell their fortunes. No one could speak 
during the search under the penalty of failing to find the 
coveted snail. If they went together, of course there was 
much giggling, but they religiously adhered to the old custom 
of keeping the tongue bridled until they returned. 

When a girl was successful in finding a snail she returned 
to her home, where she placed the snail in a barrel of corn 


316 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


meal. In its efforts to get out it was bound to form the 
initial of her future husband (according to the belief of the 
girls) but generally the imagination of the finder was the 
chief element in reading the letter. Then sometimes someone 
aided the snail by the aid of a stick with which it was guided, 
while the finder was not looking. 

In the afternoon, when the company of young people 
started for the berry patches, the girls carried glass cans or 
bottles, in which they placed their berries. After the hunt 
through the swamp had exhausted the supply of tea and 
rabbit berries they all returned to the starting point. Then 
the boys guessed the number of berries in each girl’s glass. 
The one who made the closest guess was sure to be her 
future husband, and for the remainder of the day, he became 
her partner. He was especially destined to become her life’s 
partner if he happened to be the one whose initial had been 
formed in the barrel of meal by the snail. It was double 
evidence that the fates were weaving their net of destiny. 

The day was always broken up by the old Virginia Reel in 
which the two predestined lovers were partners. Sometimes 
the two lines that faced each other were several hundred 
feet long. Trees and stumps must be dodged as the couples 
went from one end of the lines to the other. As this dance 
often required two hours or more the dancers were thor¬ 
oughly tired and ready for home when it was ended. It was 
this parting that the beaux looked forward to with great 
pleasure; for then they were permitted by the girls, and the 
laws of the day, to receive the prize for the good guessing 
which they had done. They kissed their future wife and 
departed hugely satisfied. Of course, many of the numbers 
guessed were predestined, because they were foreknown; 
otherwise, the ignorant country swain might have been 
paired with the elite of the town. It was surprising to hear 
how accurately some of them guessed, and how careful the 
snail had been that morning in tracing the initials. There 


The Senator and The Raiders 


31 7 


must have been an agreement between the souls of the two 
animals in some past spiritual existence. 

But there was one exception to this rule. John Mason, of 
Stockton, guessed the exact number of berries contained in 
Katherine’s glass, and became her partner. When he re¬ 
ceived his prize a pair of eyes that were rapidly losing the 
light of youth, glared furiously at him; but he seemed to be 
ignorant of their presence, for the gallant whispered to Kath¬ 
erine, “I want to see you before you return to Washington.” 

The coquette answered pleasantly, “All right; I am home 
to my old friends almost every day.” 

She then returned to her older escort with whom she had 
come to the scene, for the laws of the day never permitted 
a girl to return to her home with any other than the one with 
whom she had come. 


CHAPTER XXVI 


"would you have me break my promise?” 

True to his promise John Mason called upon Katherine 
just before the family started for Washington. He was 
determined to receive a final answer from her to the ques¬ 
tion that he had asked her upon so many occasions. They 
were seated alone in the Covington Mansion, when John, 
after several moments of silence, began the conversation on 
the subject which had become common to both of them. 
"Faint heart never won fair lady,” may be a good proverb; 
but it is one that has misguided many a young lover, who has 
ruined his chances by his ceaseless persistence. A little 
of the lady’s own medicine, administered in moderate doses, 
would do more to bring her to the right way of thinking 
than so much "tagging at her heels.” 

"You seem to have driven off all of your numerous ad¬ 
mirers except old Whaley, Katherine,” began the faithful 
John, "but I am going to stick to the last.” 

"That’s the quality that I have always admired in you, 
John.” 

"Thank you for that word of encouragement. I am glad 
you admire something in me.” 

"Please don’t take anything that I say in this manner as 
encouragement. I have never led you to be encouraged in 
the least, have I ? ” 

"Only by listening to me each time that I have declared 
my love for you.” 

"But I have always said that I would never marry any 
man until I have learned who I am, haven’t I ? ” 

"Yes, and I could wait if only you would make it more 
definite.” 


“ Would You Have Me Break My Promise? ” 319 


“What might I say to satisfy you? ” 

“That you will marry me as soon as you find out who 
you are, if that is what you must know. But understand 
that I am satisfied not to know any more about you.” 

“I know that, John, and I want you to know that I admire 
you for it. There are some who are not as good as you 
whom I would marry for spite if I got the chance. They 
think they are so much better than I am, because they happen 
to have a name. I know that one of them loves me, but 
he is afraid of his people; afraid that he will disgrace them, 
if he speaks to me as his equal. Although I almost despise 
him for it, I would marry him tomorrow just to show his 
mother that I consider that I am as good as she claims to be.” 

“Don’t give him a chance; marry me now, and bring happi¬ 
ness to both of us.” 

“I can’t do it, John, although I love you better than all 
the rest. I am going to tell you something that I have not, 
nor will not tell any other man, although you will despise 
me for telling you. But I think I owe you that much. I 
have promised to marry Mr. Whaley.” 

The blow had fallen at last. It was a severe one, but John 
did not flinch. He dropped his head for a few minutes, then 
with resignation he said, “I don’t see, to save my life, why 
girls are so foolish as to marry such old men, when they 
can have their choice of the younger ones. Why are you 
doing it ? ” 

“I will tell you, John. Mr. Whaley is old in years, but 
much younger than many of the younger men of whom you 
speak, who—” 

“He keeps young by not doing anything,” John inter¬ 
rupted. 

“I was coming to that, dear friend. If I married a young 
man, I would be perfectly willing to help him make an honest 
living, and become prosperous. But it would take us years 
to do it. My relations to Daddy Purnell would be somewhat 


320 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


broken, and many of my friends and enemies, who envy me 
my position, would reap great satisfaction by saying that at 
last I did not have a borrowed name as my great asset. If 
my nature were different I wouldn’t care; but we can’t help 
our natures. I might win the place that I now hold, but it 
would be after many years; after many of these old cats are 
dead. When I marry Mr. Whaley all that he has will be 
mine; pleasure, clothes, jewels, motor cars; the things that 
make women hate each other. They will feel like flying at my 
throat, and snatching off my furs and jewels. He has al¬ 
ready given me pearls worth thousands.” She handed him 
the antique box and its contents. “They may say what they 
please when I wear them, but no one of them can wear such 
jewels as they are. Why even Daddy Purnell could not 
purchase such jewels for me.” 

“And you know the reason he can’t. Because he is true 
to his Country. He will not become wealthy by breaking its 
laws. You are going to sell yourself for jewels and envy. 
I pity you, Katherine, because I love you. Don’t do this, 
for God’s sake.” 

“I won’t be the first one that has done so. Many of the 
matches in this one-horse town were made without any love 
whatever. The women got money, but they will have much 
less than I. And besides, would you have me break my 
promise ? ” 

“I would have you break your neck rather than to see you 
submit to such a nature. I can save you from yourself if you 
will let me.” 

“I can’t do it, John; I have made myself plain. Although 
I love you better than any of the rest, I don’t love you 
enough to give up this for you.” She placed her hand upon 
the pearls. “Then, John, just think that we will be separated 
for a few years only. Whaley cannot live long, then you 
can share all that I have, for all that he has will be given to 
me before we are married. He has promised to give me a 


" Would You Have Me Break My Promise? ” 


321 


deed for all but a few thousand dollars on the morning of 
our wedding day.” 

Mason did not answer her. He had thought that he had 
understood her, but he never dreamed that she would make 
such a proposal. He sorrowfully took his leave of her, as 
he thought, for the last time. As he went through the hall, 
holding his hat in both hands, head bowed, and frame 
stooped, he passed the Senator to whom he bowed, but did 
not stop for a few words as he usually did. The Senator 
well knew what the young man had just learned from his 
daughter, therefore he said, as he entered the drawing room, 
“You have just driven from you a fine young man, Kath¬ 
erine. If you were going to marry a better one I would say 
nothing; but as your father, I must attempt once more to 
influence you in the matter. When you were brought to 
me that day many years ago, I was discouraged because I 
feared that I would be defeated by Whaley. I felt that you 
might turn my luck, and I believe you did. When Nellie 
died you were my only comfort, although she hated you, 
because I shared my love between you two, for I felt the 
need of your play, your voice, and your little arms as you 
put them around my neck, when I came home in the evening. 
I believe that Nellie would have been a different woman if 
I had given you up. But I couldn’t do that, for I believed 
that God sent you to me. We played together, and I watched 
you develop into the beautiful woman you are now, and you 
did not know what pride I felt for you when I introduced 
you as my daughter.” 

“Daddy Purnell,” she answered, “I sometimes think what 
would have become of me if you had not taken me. Perhaps 
I would have been raised up the road on the Alms house 
farm. I owe you a great debt, and I am willing to do any¬ 
thing for you that I can.” 

“Then listen, honey, while I tell you something that you 
do not know.” Just then Jane came into the room, but was 


322 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


about to leave when her husband said, “Come on, Jane, we 
are having a family talk, and you may join us.” He turned 
again to Katherine as his wife seated herself, and said, “It 
seems that Whaley has always been against me, although I 
have never tried to incur his displeasure. When we were 
boys we worked together in the lumber yard of Gambrill 
and Co. Some money was lost in some way, but he accused 
me of taking it. I spent a night in jail for it, but was saved 
from more of it by my good wife’s father. I lost many 
friends and my good reputation, which was the worst loss 
of all. Then he attacked me in another way; he persuaded 
Nellie Bratten to lose faith, for a time, in me. Finally, I 
lost all hope of again gaining my former place among the 
people here, when you came into my life as a lonely babe. I 
felt then that you and I were in the same boat, but that I 
was the better off. New hope and encouragement seemed 
to be born with you. Colonel Riddle persuaded me to remain 
here and prove that I was not a coward, at least. Now I 
thank God many times for that advice. Then he opposed 
me politically, because I was gaining the confidence of the 
people again, who have almost forgotten the lost money. 
I have paid Gambrill the amount with interest, and he is 
perfectly satisfied, but it caused him to be the more convinced 
that I took it in the first place.” 

“Daddy, I heard all about that long ago when I was at 
school. The spiteful girls used to tell me about it just to see 
how I would act. Somtimes they got hurt, but oftener I 
paid no attention to them.” 

“But the hardest and final blow is that I am going to lose 
you to him; you who have meant more to me than anything 
or anybody except my dear wife here. You say you will do 
anything that you can for me. Spare me this, and send back 
those jewels to him. Marry Irwin, or Mason; I will make 
no complaint or objection, but I will never consent to this 
marriage with Whaley.” 


“ Would You Have Me Break My Promise? ” 323 


“Daddy, why did you not tell me this before? You have 
made a refusal imposible for me by not speaking long ago.” 

“Because I trusted Whaley, child. I had no idea that he 
would betray a trust in that way. He has never said one 
word to me about his having such a plan concerning you. 
I know that old men marry young girls sometimes; but I 
could never seem to associate you with such a scheme. 
Fathers can see what other children might do; but they 
never seem capable of thinking that their own daughters 
or sons might do the same thing.” 

Katherine turned very pale. She arose, came over to her 
father, stroked his gray hair, as she had often done, and said, 
“Daddy, dear, I believe that if I marry Mr. Whaley I will 
be able to bring an end to this long opposition that he has 
shown toward you. He will then be a member of your 
family, and will respect and love you as I do. I may be able 
to do a great service for you in return for all that you have 
done for me.” 

“But he is a law-breaker, Katherine, and I can never 
respect him. If I cannot do that, I will never be able to 
command his respect for me.” 

“Daddy, I will change all that. He will do anything for 
me. He has said so.” 

“So have many before him; both young and old, but he has 
one chance in a hundred of keeping his word.” 

After a few moments of silence he added, “You are still 
determined to carry out your plans ? ” 

“I wish I could say no, Daddy. Things have gone too 
far now.“ 

“All right,” he answered, as he took his wife’s arm, and 
left the room, almost broken hearted, but still determined 
to stop the marriage. If no other way could be found he 
would enlist the help of Mrs. Marah. Perhaps they would 
have to tell all that they knew in order to stop it. 

When they were in their room they heard the door that led 


324 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


to the room in the third story open softly, and Mrs. Marah 
went below to see where Katherine was. She found Kath¬ 
erine alone on the divan in the drawing room. The girl 
was silently crying, for her only great friend had left her 
for the first time without kissing her good-night. She did 
not know that he had forgotten, but she attributed the ap¬ 
parent neglect to the fact that she had displeased him, and 
“she was greatly worried to think that she had opposed him 
so stubbornly.” She continued to cry until the two had gone 
to Katherine’s room. Then she confessed to Mrs. Marah 
that a girl without a father and mother had no place in this 
world. 

“You have a good father and mother, haven’t you?” Mrs. 
Marah asked. 

“Yes, as far as kindness is concerned. I would not want 
better; but there is something lacking; I feel that I am 
an intruder; that they would be happier without me. I am 
always causing them to worry. I don’t seem able to please 
them and to please myself at the same time.” 

“A real daughter or son can’t do that. We must all live our 
own lives,” the woman of mystery answered. 

“But so many mistakes are made. So many choose the 
wrong course in life in spite of the fact that friends and 
relatives of experience have warned and advised them against 
the action.” 

“I have never meddled in the business of others, Kath¬ 
erine, but maybe I could help you. I’m not asking to be 
curious—don’t tell me if you think that—but I feel a great 
interest in you.” 

“I know that, and I will tell you. I believe you will under¬ 
stand better than any of the rest. Daddy Purnell does not 
wish me to marry Mr. Whaley.” 

A spontaneous, terrific scream reverberated through the 
house as Katherine made this statement, and Mrs. Marah 
fell upon the floor of the girl’s room. It brought the Senator 


“ Would You Have Me Break My Promise? ” 325 

and his wife and Aunt Cora, who was so frightened that she 
was almost as pale as the face of the helpless woman upon 
the floor. But she seemed to retain her senses to a greater 
degree than any of the others, for she said, “De po’ lady has 
fainted. Dis ole Niggah will fetch her to in a few minutes. 
Mullein is good fo’ dat.” Then she hobbled down to her 
own end of the house, and brought back some freshly pulled 
mullein, that weed which somewhat resembles tobacco, and 
began to rub the mouth and temples of Mrs. Marah with the 
thick, green leaves, while she mumbled to herself, “Dis am 
nature’s remedy. I thinks a heap of dis weed. It’ll cure 
r’umatiz, lumbago, warts, burns, and cramps; it am good 
for faints too.” 

Whether this weed has any healing qualities or not is a 
question not yet settled. It may be, like its near relative, 
the tobacco, that it has virtues as well as vices. Anyhow, 
the Negroes think it has, and as the doctor will tell you, ‘Half 
the cure is your faith in the power of the medicine,’ the 
Negroes may be right. However, Mrs. Marah soon gained 
consciousness, and was helped to her feet by the Senator. 

The woman said, “I am not well, Mr. Purnell; take me to 
my room.” When she had been taken there she added, al¬ 
most hysterically, “I must see Roy Gordy; I must see Roy 
Gordy.” 

“But no one knows where he is, Mrs. Marah. He has 
been gone for years,” said the Senator. 

“I must see him. Where is Uncle Israel ? ” 

“I don’t know, but I’ll ask Cora.” 

“Tell her to send him here, please.” 

The Senator went immediately to Cora. “Cora,” he said, 
“for some reason Mrs. Marah wants Uncle Israel. Will 
you find him and send him to her ? ” 

“Yas, Suh, ’deed ah will, honey chile,” answered the old 
darkey, as she went in search of him. 

Then the Senator returned to his daughter’s room, where 


326 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


he found his wife. The girl had become quiet, but seemed 
worried about Mrs. Marah. She placed the blame for the 
woman’s condition upon herself; but the Senator tried to 
excuse it by saying that Mrs. Marah was not well. 

After they had returned to their own room Jane asked, 
“Don’t you think we ought now to tell Katherine who Mrs. 
Marah is ? ” 

“Not yet, Jane. I have to keep faith with Mrs. Marah, 
for she has kept it with me. She has set her own time. There 
is something else that worries me more than that.” 

“What is it, James ? ” 

“Why does she want Roy Gordy? He has never been 
heard of since I was a young man, yet she seems to know 
where he is. Is it possible that he is—” 

“Don’t think that, James” his wife interrupted. 

“Why not?^ She has sent Israel for him. Is it possible 
that the old Negro has been carrying communications be¬ 
tween the two ? ” 

“I don’t know, but it seems that we will soon learn.” 

“Jane, why does Katherine insist upon marrying Whaley?” 

“It’s the tendency of the age. The whole young genera¬ 
tion is crazy about money. They value nothing except in 
terms of money. They talk in terms of money; think in 
terms of money; love in terms of money. Everything that 
they do is done to attract money as a magnet attracts steel. 
Women believe that they cannot exist without it; men think 
that nothing will take its place, and the heights reached and 
kept by great men who have gone will never even be seen by 
the younger generation.” 

“You remind me of a story that I once heard. ‘A woman 
was one of a number of climbers who started to the top of a 
high mountain. She carried a valise, which was filled with 
a great many valuables that a woman always has about her. 
These she was afraid to entrust with anyone else. But she 
was advised to leave it behind on this climb, because it 


" Would You Have Me Break My Promise? ” 327 


would tire her before she reached the top. She stubbornly 
refused to listen, however, and about noon she was obliged 
to fall back, while the rest of the party forged ahead, until 
they saw the wonders of the mountains from the highest 
point/ 

“That seems to be the trouble with our young people today. 
They are carrying too much baggage in the form of pleasure. 
I may be reckoned to be a Puritan born out of season, but 
I know that the sublime heights will never be reached from 
a ball room, or from card tables, or bridge parties, or auto¬ 
mobile and dog shows. The baggage must be left behind in 
the climb. I know that the man or woman, whose name 
appears in the lists of those who have attended dinners or 
parties too often, is not climbing upward in the night. I 
know that the man with a bottle in one pocket and a pack 
of cards in the other will never deliver his nation from any¬ 
thing, unless it be from an useless citizen. I also know that 
the cigarette smoking girl with a head like her vanity box, 
will never produce a race of leaders or conquerors. Neither 
can she attain great heights in a ball dress. And the gray 
haired man in the front row, or the black haired Adonis in the 
gallery of a vaudeville theatre will get no higher than the 
peanut gallery, because their visions are blurred by silk 
tights. I don’t think any poet has ever classified such visions 
as sublime. The young men have been boasting that their 
day has come; but if it has, there are none who are capable 
enough to assume leadership. The old men must again 
bear their own burdens and the burdens of the young also.” 

“And* the greatest burden to be borne is that of seeing our 
own loved one being literally swallowed up by the mael¬ 
strom. Our boys and girls both are looking for the highest 
bidder, and are being auctioned by the god of pleasure, the 
only god whose existence they do not seem to doubt.” 

“Yes, and so is our generation to blame. The father says 
T don’t want my boy and girl to have to work as hard as I 


328 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


did.’ We are making a mistake. Every product of our 
schools of today will have nothing to do with labor, that kind 
which must be done with the hands. Yet it is the boast 
of our educational officials that they are making better 
workers, and citizens. Therefore, we are importing the ig¬ 
norant, unprincipled class to do the work for us, while we 
watch them. But when they are not working they are under¬ 
mining our government. They are shrewd enough to de¬ 
mand exorbitant wages, because they know we must pay for 
work that we will not do. There was a time that the Negroes 
would work for us, but now they are following the example 
of the white laborers, and are organizing. They make 
enough in one day to keep them for two weeks, consequently, 
they are idle for thirteen days in every two weeks. And 
there is no man living who can persuade a Negro to work 
while he has any money in his pocket.” 

“That’s right. Today I asked a woman to do some 
washing for me. She gathered her silk skirts more tightly 
about her body, and answered impudently, ‘Let the white 
folks do their own washin’ and ironin’. Our men can keep 
us and not have to work every day, either 

“Thus you see how the foreigner is changing the life of 
our nation. From a hard-working, progressive people we are 
becoming lazy and luxurious. From a Nation of industrial 
giants we are becoming anemic pigmies. Even our con¬ 
servative South, the mother of presidents and great leaders, 
is fast losing this leadership. We are not moulding the 
stranger within our midst; he is deforming us at our own 
doors.” 

“And yet, James, we have the finest country in the world. 
We have the finest type of young people that can be found 
anywhere. They are worth saving, and they must be saved. 
You, and men like you, far-seeing, visionaries of the old line 
of Americans, must save them. If they are lost, our de- 


" Would You Have Me Break My Promise? ” 329 

mocracy, the most advanced example of democracy, will 
place the blame on you, and men like you.” 

“I know it; yet I feel almost helpless before this giant 
spectre that appears ready to devour everything in sight to 
satisfy its appetite for sensual sin and pleasure. When men 
attempt to get all from the world and return nothing, nothing 
that is worth while they need the services of the Physician 
that is greater than they.” 


CHAPTER XXVII 


Israel's mission 

A few days after Senator Purnell made his last appeal to 
his daughter, he returned with his family to Washington, 
where his duties required his presence for the winter. As 
usual, he left his house in care of Mrs. Marah. Formerly 
she had had Israel Crippen for company, but now he was 
away on her own mission. He had gone, at her bidding, in 
search of Roy Gordy. No one knew, but this woman, where 
Israel had gone, and Senator Purnell made no objections, 
thinking that the mysterious life which she had led, and her 
desire to find Roy, were somehow connected. What that 
connection might be he only tried to guess; he felt that she 
would reveal it at her own time. 

It was to this old Negro that Mrs. Marah was indebted 
for many favors. He seemed to be her medium between 
starvation and plenty. During the whole time that she was 
at the Covington House she never went into the town for 
anything. She sent the old Negro for clothing, food, and 
fuel, and he never failed her. Israel seemed to feel that this 
last mission was the most important that had yet been 
intrusted to him, and although his friends and other corner 
loafers had asked him many questions, he incurred their 
great displeasure by refusing to divulge anything. Once 
they caught and threatened him; but when he declared that 
he would report it all to “Mistah James” they let him go. 
This time, however, he left the town by back streets and 
paths not often traveled, because he feared to meet these 
men again. 

After nearly four days he returned to the town secretly, no 


Israel's Mission 


331 


one having missed him. As James and the family had gone 
he reported immediately to Mrs. Marah. 

“Did you find him ? " she anxiously asked. 

“Yes, Mistis, I done fine him, an’ gabe him you all's 
message." 

“What did he say?" 

“Mistah Roy raved an’ cussed right smaht when I done 
tell him. He say 'I cain’t come neow. But yo’ all sen' me 
word ’bout one week ’fo’ de weddin’ ’ whatever dat mean. 
He dangerous man. He say, ‘Ef yo’ all don’ do dat, I’ll buss 
yo’ black haid wide open.’ I say, 'Yo’ can trusten me, Mis¬ 
tah Roy; Mistis Marah will warn me, an I’ll fly to yo’ 
all.’ " 

“ ‘Yo’ bettah had,’ he say, den I lef’ him in a heap of a 
rage." 

With this assurance the woman seemed more content. Yet 
even what the Negro reported apparently brought to her 
hope; hope that enabled her to go about her household duties 
with a lighter heart. But the haunting look of anxiety never 
left her care-worn face. That face which still showed unmis¬ 
takable marks of exceptional beauty, was now furrowed with 
deep wrinkles, and its color had become sallow, with very 
dark portions under her eyes; but the eyes still flashed fire 
of anger at times, and soft ways of tenderness at others. 
These two attractive characteristics of woman that make her 
irresistible after all traces of beauty have been banished for¬ 
ever, by suffering and the denied pleasures or unfulfilled 
dreams of her girlhood. 

When Israel had finished his story Mrs. Marah gave him 
a list of commodities that she would need for her own use. 
Then, sitting down at her desk, she wrote the following letter 
to Washington: 

“Dear Senator Purnell:—You seemed much worried about 
Katherine’s coming marriage, and so am I, but perhaps for 


332 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


different reasons. I know you thought I had peculiar actions 
when I heard about. Don’t worry any more. I have just 
had a talk with Uncle Israel, who has just returned. It will 
never happen, not to Whaley, anyhow. Just let me know a 
few days before you return for the wedding, and I will see 
that it does not happen. I can’t tell you more in this letter, 
but I would like to tell you all, 

“Sincerely, 

“MRS. MARAH.” 

This letter she sent with Israel when he went to the store 
for the necessary articles that she needed. She cautioned him 
particularly to lose his arm rather than allow anything to 
happen to that letter. 

After the Senator had carefully read the letter he handed 
it to his wife, remarking, as he did so, “What can you 
make of that?” 

“Not much,” was the answer, “but I have no fears that 
her plans will fail. I can trust her to know what she is 
doing. Although we do not understand the woman’s motives, 
I believe she is sincere, and is acting for the best interests of 
her daughter. I wish, James, that we could call her our’s. 
Perhaps our attitude has been wrong at times. I fear, some¬ 
times, that we have not shown the affectionate interest in her 
and her affairs, that we should have. She thinks she ought to 
get out of our lives, and I believe we are to blame.” 

“I don’t, Jane. I don’t think I could have loved her more 
if she had been mine. I have often felt that she is, or at least 
I felt so until the arrival of Mrs. Marah. Yet I do not believe 
her revelation, startling as it was, changed my manner in the 
least toward Katherine. I love her greatly, so much that I 
have decided to make no further interference with her plans.” 

“How about the letter ? ” 

“I will notify the woman, but I will not lift my hand. If 
her mother desires to stop it, she will have to do it in her own 


Israel's Mission 


333 


way. I am done with her and her dark secret. If I should 
interfere, and the girl become unhappy, I will always blame 
myself. Her destiny lies between her and her mother/’ 

When he had expressed his determination not to interfere 
further he answered the letter, stating that the wedding had 
been planned to take place the first week in April, at All 
Hallows Church, of Snow Hill. He stated that all the 
family would be home several days before the actual date 
set for the wedding; then he started for the Capitol and his 
duties there. 

“Thank goodness,” exclaimed Mrs. Marah, when she had 
read his answer. “I feared we might have to go to Wash¬ 
ington for it. You never can tell how long a girl will stick 
to her first plan. And that would have complicated things 
for us.” 

“What was you sayin’?” asked a familiar voice from the 
kitchen door. Mrs. Ward had been admitted by herself, 
according to the custom of this community, and had not been 
heard by the woman who was interested in the contents of 
the letter. 

Mrs. Marah did not answer the question, however; neither 
did she hide the letter, but said, quietly, “I certainly am glad 
you came, Mrs. Ward, I have just read a letter from the 
Senator, and I was lonesome. They are coming home in 
April.” 

Mrs. Ward seemed not to notice the artful way by 
which the other tried to change the conversation, for she 
answered, “I reckon you’re as lonesome as a ’tater bug on a 
pine tree. The whole family galavantin’ around while you 
remain alone in this big house.” 

“I don’t mind; I didn’t want to go along.” 

“Nem’ mind, perrty soon there’ll be a widdin’ in the 
family. It’s been a right smart time sence we’ve had one in 
our town. I reckon all the folks will go, though a right 
smart of them hate old Whaley like pizen. He certainly steps 


334 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


around right peert lately; even the widders think their 
chances are turned en’ for en’ sence they heerd of the 
weddin\ Have they set the time ? ” 

“I don’t know, rightly. I hope not, for I don’t like to 
think of it even.” 

“Nor me nuther. I always liked Katherine. She’s so 
sociable, she always knows you, and that’s sayin’ more for 
her than can be said for many others gals of this burg. An’ 
they ain’t as good as she is, nuther; not by a jug full. How 
come her to be yoked by that man, I can’t tell t’ save my life. 
She always peered to have a heap o’ sense. But she’s got the 
rest talkin’ now. They’re sayin’ a plenty of good an’ bad 
about her.” 

“We never can tell what a girl will do in these days. 
Times and conditions change so rapidly that we older women 
cannot become reconciled to the changes.” 

“That’s certainly right. The world seems turned en’ for 
en’ as I sade to Miss Purnell ’fore she died. It’s my ’pinion 
we’ll have to become bline as bats if we don’t want to see the 
doin’s of the young folks. What ails it I can’t tell t’ save my 
life, but the biggis’ fool is the ole fool, who tries to imitate 
the young ones. You don’t ketch me after any widderer or 
bachelor nuther, even if he do wear swaller-tail coats an’ 
paten’-leather shoes. Skuze me from that. Jest let ’em come 
’round me, an’ they’ll light out sudden for a pleasanter 
climate, I’ll tell you. Why don’t you come down t’ see me 
some times, Miss Marah ? ” 

“Oh, I don’t have any reason, I reckon. I treat you just 
like I treat everybody; I don’t go anywhere.” 

“An’ I don’t think you do right. You’ll die here alone 
some of these times, an’ so many people awaitin’ t’ help you. 
’Twuz jest tuther day that I done tole Miss Gordy I believe 
some good fer nothin’ man hed treated you like her man 
treated her. She made a two-lay’ cake an’ she give me a 
piece, an’ she sade, ‘Tain’t so bad when you know where your 


Israel's Mission 


335 


man is; but when you don’t, it’s awful. It’s ben ’most twenty 
years, I reckon, sence he disappeared, an’ not a word. She 
used t’ think he was dade, but now she don’t think so. Ef 
he ain’t dade he ought t’ put a inch cord aroun’ his neck an’ 
hang hisself. Some men wouldn’t treat a dawg or hoss like 
their wife. Why, when Dick Station goes gunnin’ he totes 
his dawg for miles, so he won’t get tired ’fore night; but he 
won’t carry his wife out to her parent’s home in a buggy. 
She has t’ stay home or walk. Ain’t that awful ? ” 

“Maybe there’s some other reason that—” 

“No ’tain’t nuther. It’s a down right meanness. I holpen 
her clean house, an’ she tole me. She sade that he wouldn’t 
let her have the hoss because he was tired an’ needed a rest. 
Now she bought that hoss, an’ she tole him it was her’n, but 
he sade it was his’n, an’ he jined church not long ago too. 
She’s skeered of him. Ef it had a’bin me, I’d taken a piece of 
bresh, an’ I’d beat him over the hade ’til he’d say, ‘It’s our’n; 
but you kin have him. Now, she thought when she married 
him, that because he was a lawyer he was something, but 
she’s learned better. There’s so many lawyers in this town 
that half on ’em is starvin’, an’ the other half don’t make a 
livin’. Don’t git into any law business, for they are hungry 
’round here, an’ they’ll git all you got ’fore the thing’s over. 
That’s what some men want. They think the Lawd is too 
far away to hear the cry of a woman, an’ when they go to 
bade they don’t think he knows their thoughts, what mean¬ 
ness they have done, are plan to do nex’ day. They’ll fine out 
some day, though.” 

“All men are not alike, Mrs. Ward.” 

“Well, I never had but one, but the way other women talk, 
it seems like there is not much difference.” 

“Marriage is a sort of gamble anyhow. If luck’s with you, 
you will get a good man. If not, you are the loser.” 

“Well it’s something like that. Now I told Alice 
Riley the other day that if she dropped her ring in a glass 


336 The Gentleman From Maryland 

of water after she had hung it on a hair, she could tell 
whether it would be safe to marry the man whom she was 
thinking about. If the man is standing near when the ring 
is hung in the water, and the ring stands still, it is not safe. 
But if the ring swings to the side of the glass, it's safe to 
marry him. Marriage is jest like that. But I must be goin’ 
I promised Mis' Stagg that I would be up to see her. She got 
her feet frosted, an’ she heerd I hed a remedy for it. You 
kill a black hen, an’ rub the oil on the place. It is a sure 
cure. My, there’s the old clock striking. I must mosey along 
home now. I have to git a little snack to eat, shut up my 
biddies, an’ go to bade. I stayed with Mis Johnson las’ 
night. She had cramps, an’ sent for me for to come over. 
I didn’t git much sleep. Goodbye, Mis’ Marah. If you git 
lonesome, come over any time.” 

When she was gone Mrs. Marah laughed about some of 
the things she had said. Like almost everybody else, she 
liked Mrs. Ward’s company, even though she was so peculiar 
and plain spoken. There was no harm whatever in the 
woman. True, she was curious, but if that’s a fault, it is one 
that we are all prone to. She atoned many times over for 
that fault by making more comfortable a bed of sickness, by 
smoothing it, or by placing a pillow in the right place, and 
she removed many a pain by kneading a diseased muscle 
until it seemed to take on new life. Such friends are few 
and far between. And we miss them, too. 

While these women were talking in his home, Senator 
Purnell was in the midst of one of his short, but important 
phillipics. Great excitement reigned in the Senate that day 
as he arrived. The vote was to be taken on a measure to 
prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks by 
an amendment to the Constitution. As he came into the 
Senate chamber he heard the clerk cry, ‘‘The Senator from 
Maryland.” He stepped to the front of the room, addressed 
the chair and his fellow senators. “It has long been my 


Israel's Mission 


33 7 


opinion/’ he began, “that more drastic measures ought to be 
instituted by our government to cope with this exceptionally 
important and abnormal condition. We must insist on basic 
principles. We will be ridiculed and misrepresented, but it 
will not do to fire back ridicule or hatred. 

“Prohibition is not based on wrong or unfair principles. 
It is just for the citizen and right for society. If we believe 
in prohibition as right we must speak out vigorously for it. 

“This question is not one of party; no lines of party can be 
drawn. I happen to belong to the party of the solid South, 
but will stand with it only as long as it stands for right. 
It does in this case. It generally does. In glancing back we 
find it standing always for right. During all of our wars a 
far greater portion of our volunteers came from the South 
than from any other section, in spite of the fact that there 
are very few cities there to add to our scattered population, 
which is small as compared with other places. This was true 
in the Revolution. In the war of 1812, when New England 
was ready to secede, it was true. It was especially true in the 
Spanish-American war, and will always be true, for there is 
found the greatest number of the purest blooded Americans 
or Anglo-Saxons on this Continent. 

“We may have been wrong in 1860, but we were fighting 
for basic principles, and every man of the finest type 
volunteered. They can always be counted upon. They are 
solid on this question of prohibition, and I shall stand with 
them. 

“I appeal to you as representatives of the American peo¬ 
ple, not to misunderstand me. We can never make men 
moral by laws; God himself gave laws to the Hebrews when 
they were Israelites, but they were never saved by them, 
for they did not keep them. And no man, who thinks himself 
good, has the privilege of regulating his neighbor’s habits. 
But I believe that laws are necessary, and they should respect 
personal liberty. Laws should not regulate a man’s eating or 


338 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


drinking; but a law may prohibit traffic in strong drink, and 
not involve one of these charges which are being made 
against this body. 

“I am a strong believer in the basic principle that every 
man is entitled to personal liberty as long as he does not 
use it to deprive other persons, not even his children, of 
happiness, comfort, security, powers of a sound brain and 
body, or any other personal right. If man has such a right 
society would soon cease to exist. We must therefore check 
the exercise of any right in any man, anarchist or citizen, that 
interferes with enforcement of laws, or government, or a 
bigger freedom. Otherwise, we will degenerate to the 
cave-man age. 

“Until prohibition became a political issue, even prejudiced 
men could not find a good excuse for attacking this reform. 
Now, however, they live, they cheat, they steal, they commit 
murder, they break every law under the sun in their efforts to 
check this great inevitable reform. 

“The man who demands personal liberty, and exercises it 
by being intemperate, should never marry. If he does he is 
the greatest hypocrite on earth; for he robs his wife of her 
liberty, and his children of theirs, by bequeathing to them 
weak minds, unsound bodies, defective eyes and teeth, that 
hinder them from enjoying the same liberties and privileges 
that he demands. Prohibition will correct this by preserving 
their rights from selfish infringement. On this ground it 
will stand impregnable. 

“And that is just what prohibition will do. Numbers of 
men become a menace to peace and the lives of their families 
and neighbors, because they exercise this so-called right. 

“Worse still—far worse—is the vast, strong and unscrupu¬ 
lous business conducted principally by foreigners, that is 
growing up in America, with the one object of creating a 
greater market for intoxicating drinks by enticing boys and 
even our most precious treasures—our girls—to become 


Israel's Mission 


339 


drunkards. This is the business that is causing prohibition. 
Its capital controls our cities, our state governments in many 
instances, and, like the condition that exists in England, it 
now tries to control Congress and the churches. It 
purchases the saloons for men who cannot speak Eng¬ 
lish; men who cannot read nor write; it sets such 
men in business on all the principal corners in our cities 
and towns. Their names can be seen on nearly every corner 
in this fair Capitol. It is the same in my own city Baltimore, 
and in every other city and town in the Nation where pro¬ 
hibition is not enforced. Nearly every name is a foreign, 
unpronounceable name. The only pronounceable name on 
those beauty destroying signs is beer or whiskey, but that 
is enough for the myriads who are looking for that sign. 
They care not whose hand it is that hands the glass across 
the bar. The highest ideal upheld by those signs is a glass 
of foaming slop from the brewery that owns them. 

“For many generations sober-minded men have worked 
to restrain it, but these foreign drink-makers and drink- 
peddlers have become meaner and madder. Their places of 
business have become the homes of human flotsam and jet¬ 
sam, desperadoes, and the rendezvous of the unscrupulous 
politician and his gang. Society and government can no 
longer tolerate them. This business is doing nothing but 
harm. No one can say one honest word in its behalf. There¬ 
fore, we must condemn it as un-American, alien, and to be 
prohibited. 

“We don’t want to make men moral by law. We want to 
make society safe by law. We want to make the coming 
generation sane, safe, prosperous, healthy, law-abiding men 
and women. 

“I read from a gentleman’s speech, which was delivered 
from this floor yesterday, that prohibition would demoralize 
men; that it would make them criminals by forcing them to 


340 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


become boot-leggers. If a law makes no man moral, how 
can it make a man immoral ? 

“Let us look at the truths of this matter. These boot¬ 
leggers will violate the prohibition law for the same reason 
that the saloon-keeper and the brewer violate the regulatory 
laws that exist under license—because they have no con¬ 
science, else they would not be in the business of selling that 
which ruins the purchaser. If they do not consider human 
lives worth anything, certainly they will not consider human 
laws, or God’s laws worth anything. A man must either 
give up this business or his conscience. He has to make that 
choice. It’s the business, and not the law that makes the 
criminal. 

“Whenever we enforce the basic principles of the Amer¬ 
ican government there will be plenty of public opinion to 
uphold a law that will break this destructive power of the 
foreigner, and the unscrupulous American. If we do not do 
it our Anglo-Saxon civilization and democracy will crumble 
to dust, while these Nero’s of personal liberty insist upon 
playing their enticing fiddles, as our younger generation 
dances itself into the death-dealing arms of Bacchus. 

“I am an Anglo-Saxon; I am an American, I am of that 
stock that has saved America in every crisis of her history; 
I am now for prohibition and the observance of the 
American Constitution and laws.” 

During the deliverance of this speech a delegation from 
Baltimore was listening carefully to very word. They had 
been sent there for that purpose. Therefore, they lost 
nothing that the Gentleman from Maryland said on that 
occasion. But when they had reported the affair to their 
superiors at Baltimore it was decided that Senator Purnell 
had served out his period of usefulness as a representative 
from their state and city. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARYLAND 

The Gentleman from Maryland took his seat rejoicing 
that his great opportunity had come. He would serve his 
fellow-men even if many of them repudiated such service. 
He felt that all reformers, whether moral or political, had 
had the same thankless road to travel; but a portion of them 
had lived to see many of those who cursed, turn to them 
with a blessing for their service. He believed that the same 
would be true with him. Not that he cared either for the 
blessing or the curse; his conscience was free, for he had 
done his duty. 

His address was followed by many others. That quiet un¬ 
assuming man from the great northwest, made a great plea, 
showing absolute unselfishness and humanitarianism. These 
speeches required several days, but the time was not ripe, and 
several years were required before these statesmen saw the 
fruits of their labors. 

As Senator Purnell passed up Pennsylvania Avenue on his 
way from the Capitol to his home, he noticed the familiar 
figure of his old friend, Edward Warfield of Baltimore, 
walking ahead of him. He hurried in order to overtake his 
friend, but he passed into the Pennsylvania Hotel before he 
was able to overtake him. The Senator also passed into the 
hotel, where he found Warfield, who was sitting in the lobby. 
When he had greeted him the Senator invited him to dine 
with him. This he gladly consented to do, and the friends 
were soon comfortably placed in the dining room of the hotel. 

As the waiter came to take their orders the friend said, 
“Senator, I heard a portion of your address this afternoon. 


342 The Gentleman From Maryland 

I thought it covered the conditions thoroughly; but I am 
afraid it will not set well with some of your supporters from 
Baltimore.” 

“I fear that you are right, Warfield, but I cannot compro¬ 
mise. You know my motto; This nation cannot remain part 
wet, and part dry! We are coming to the time when men’s 
souls must be emancipated just as we have emancipated their 
bodies” 

“I believe that, but it means your defeat, Senator; the 
thing none of your true friends, and many of your enemies, 
want to see accomplished. Chiefly by your efforts Maryland 
has become a leading state. She has taken the lead in-” 

“Don’t go into that, friend Warfield,” interrupted the 
Senator. “All that I have done was my duty; I have tried to 
serve all mankind, as well as all Maryland. I have made 
bitter enemies, but I will not hesitate to make more if up¬ 
holding the principles of our democracy will do so. I do not 
hesitate, even though I lose my friends.” 

“There are many that you will not lose, Jim. But you need 
the vote of the city of Baltimore to elect you as a Senator. 
I fear you will lose that vote when they read your speech in 
tomorrow’s paper. They have suspected you for sometime, 
but they did not expect you to join with that man from 
Minnesota. That means that you have cast your lot with 
the dry states of the South and West. 

“I know what it means. I have done my best.” 

“Do you know what they are demanding right now in 
Baltimore? Increased representation for the city at An¬ 
napolis. If they get it that means that Baltimore will make 
the laws for Maryland.” 

“I know it, Warfield. I have known their plans for some¬ 
time. I would not object in the least, if they would send 
the right type of men to Annapolis. But that old conven¬ 
tion has become an assembly of the unscrupulous riff-raff of 
Baltimore’s underworld. High-principled gentlemen of the 



The Gentleman From Maryland 343 

counties are actually ashamed to sit in the assembly with 
them.’’ 

“Don't tell me anything about the condition, the best citi¬ 
zens of the city resent it, but they are helpless. What can we 
do, then? The bosses must have their way, and we will not 
vote to please them; therefore they choose those henchmen 
who will do as they command. One of them has actually and 
boldly declared that, T am the only lobbyist who can do what 
I am paid to do—to deliver votes for my superiors.' " 

“I can name him," said the Senator. “The majority of 
Baltimore’s representatives are like him. They cannot ex¬ 
press themselves correctly in English. Their names betray 
their origin. Some of them have not been naturalized long 
enough to enable the ink on their citizenship papers to be¬ 
come dry. Their spokesmen, Anthony Domingo, ridicules 
any man who stands for morality. He pokes fun at the 
representatives of the Church, and insults men and women 
who appear in his presence in the interests of law and or¬ 
der. Many of the county representatives refuse to spea u 
upon moral issues, because they fear his sarcastic tirades 
against them. He would destroy the Sabbath by opening all 
places of amusement; he desires to commercialize all forms 
of vice; he is without principle or morals, caring only for 
the will of his political overseer. Almost every other man 
from the city nods his head when Domingo nods, or shakes 
his head when Domingo shakes his. They move when he 
moves; vote as he votes; sneeze when he sneezes; and spit 
or cough when he coughs. They are his automatons, his 
shadows, his Panzas, his ears, his eyes, and his noses. Nor 
does he wish to limit such practices to the city; he wants to 
force them upon the counties by amendments. He especially 
aims at the Eastern Shore, because his most fierce antagonists 
come from that section. We will not submit to such condi¬ 
tions. We will not submit to such politicians. We are not 
yet Europeanized to that extent." 


344 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“What will you do when they redistrict the city, and get 
the increased representation ? ” asked Mr. Warfield. 

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do if they force any of their unjust 
conditions upon our section. We will organize a new state. 
We are cut entirely off from the rest of the state by water, 
anyhow, and it will be an easy matter for us to form another 
unit of our Nation out of the Eastern Shore, with Salisbury 
as the Capital. Our new state will be larger than some of 
the other states of the Union, and we will be free from the 
unfair pressure of Baltimore. We have had prohibition 
for sometime, because we desire it. We still desire it, and 
are as determined that we keep it as Baltimore is that we 
change the state law. The Western Shore will not permit 
a bridge to be built across the Chesapeake, because it thinks 
that the products from our section will interfere with the 
prices of their products that are sold in the city. You, your¬ 
self, know how I had to fight to save Kent Island.” 

“Yes, and they had the government officials back of them 
that time.” 

“It would have been a disgrace to have driven out the in¬ 
habitants of that notable island, who are pure descendants 
from the settlers who went there before Claiborne’s time. 
Many of the homes have remained in the same families dur¬ 
ing all these years. I pointed out to the officials that the vast 
stretch of marsh land along the western coast of the Chesa¬ 
peake was much better, and provided a better range. It cost 
a great deal less, too. The army saved the added expense 
that travel across the Bay would have cost it.” 

When our government was seeking a long range for ex¬ 
perimentation and rifle practice, many influential men of 
Baltimore urged the officials at Washington to purchase 
Kent Island, which lays across the bay from Baltimore. It 
is the largest and most important of all the islands in the 
Chesapeake. For many years it was claimed by Claiborne of 
Virginia, until a line was surveyed between the territories 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


345 


belonging to Maryland and Virginia. This island was saved 
from becoming a proving ground by the efforts and influence 
of Senator Purnell, when he succeeded in proving to the 
officials that a better and more accessible range existed nearer 
Baltimore, along the shore of the Chesapeake, south of the 
Susquehanna River. The Pennsylvania Railroad runs along 
the whole length of this range, which has headquarters at 
Aberdeen. Very few farmers lived in this vast tract, for 
the greater portion of it is swamp, or marsh. Therefore, the 
price paid was much less than what would have been re¬ 
quired to purchase Kent Island. 

It was by such manifestations of his wisdom and fight¬ 
ing powers that Purnell gained and held the confidence of 
the people of the Eastern Shore. They never lost that con¬ 
fidence, and when he was at last defeated it was by the vote 
of the vast foreign population of the city of Baltimore, at 
the dictation of their unscrupulous leaders, and not by the 
Anglo-Saxon vote of the counties. 

“You saved your government money when you knew it 
would cost you your seat in Congress. Such politicians are 
almost as scarce as the teeth of the Chesapeake oyster.” 

“No man should hesitate to do either his public or private 
duty, Warfield.” 

“If you were convinced that it was your duty to your 
family to do a certain thing for which you knew you would 
be criticised and censored by the majority of your friends, 
and even some of the members of your family, when your 
action became known, would you hesitate? ” 

“I don’t believe I would, Ed. Of course, I don’t know 
what the circumstances might be; but I don’t believe they 
would make the slightest difference.” 

“Did you ever have a son to disobey you repeatedly ? ” 

“You know I don’t have a son; but I have had a daughter 
to do so.” 


346 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“You know my son, David, I suppose? He was at your 
house last night.” 

“Yes, I do; and a very likable fellow he is, too.” 

“He makes friends easily; too easily. His personality 
seems to be his undoing, Senator. The greatest personal asset 
a man can have might also be his greatest enemy, if he does 
not become its master. He is much in love with your daugh¬ 
ter. He likes her for what he terms her ‘independent 
courage/ ” 

The Senator was on the point of saying, “It’s too late, 
now,” but checked himself. Instead he answered, “In that 
she seems like many other members of the present genera¬ 
tion.” 

“That is just the point to which I am coming,” replied 
Warfield. “I have made my will, which cuts David off with 
one dollar.” 

The Senator showed great surprise, but said nothing. Mr. 
Warfield continued, “I expected you to be astonished, but 
don’t censure me until you have heard my story. Of course 
you know that many fathers are doing that very thing. I 
can sympathize with them, although I’ll admit that there 
was a time when I had no patience with the father that 
treated one of his children in such a way. My son is worth¬ 
less, even though it tears my very heart to admit it to an old 
friend. He never works; he has no ambition to do any¬ 
thing ; he is out every night until three or four in the morn¬ 
ing; then he sleeps until about ten. The same thing hap¬ 
pens the next day and every day. In this way he is spending 
his life and his money.” 

“And where has he been getting his money ? ’ 

“I have been giving it to him.” 

“How long? ” 

“Every since he was four years old he has never lacked 
for spending money.” 

“Yes, you are like many other fathers of our times. I 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


34 7 


might have been one if I had a son. You give him all the 
money he demands, all his clothes, his food, a new automo¬ 
bile when he wants it, and anything else that he wants, simply 
because he is your son. Why, he doesn’t have to work. He 
doesn’t need to be ambitious. He thinks that it will last for¬ 
ever, and you will do nothing to delude him, because you are 
afraid of being criticised before you die. But after your 
death criticism will do you no harm, therefore you depart, 
leaving him face to face with his first and greatest disap¬ 
pointment in life; the one he faces when your lawyer reads 
your will to him. Instead of forcing him to face the realiza¬ 
tion of the fact now, you will leave him to cast execrations 
at you as long as he lives. Why do you do it, Warfield? ” 

“Because everybody else seems to be doing it, I suppose.” 

“When you’re in Rome, do as Rome does. That old prin¬ 
ciple has ruined more lives than anything that has ever been 
taught. Why not deny him now, in order to save his own 
soul, and his opinion of you after you have shuffled off? 
Then when his soul is saved, you can safely leave him your 
whole fortune with the assurance that he will appreciate it.” 

“He would leave home, and his mother couldn’t stand 
that.” 

“Can she stand him as he is living now ? ” 

“She doesn’t know. Mothers will believe anything a child 
tells them.” 

“Then you’re deceiving her too. It’s up to you to see that 
she knows what’s good for her and her son.” 

“I am afraid I am guilty, Senator.” 

“There is only one thing left for you to do. Destroy that 
will; then tell her all. When you have done that, have a 
heart to heart talk with the boy. Ma}ce things plain to him; 
then turn him adrift. He will either make a man of himself, 
or an outlaw jail-bird. But in ninety-nine cases out of one 
hundred he will become a man that you can be proud of.” 

“I am afraid to risk it.” 


348 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“According to your story it seems to me that you have 
risked more. Don’t put all of the blame upon your boy; 
shoulder your share. The boys and girls of to-day are just 
what we make them. We are just beginning to come to that 
conclusion. It is the principles that we teach them when they 
are under ten years of age. These principles ought to be 
bound together, and when one gets broken the results are felt 
in many ways. When a live wire is broken, it may mean 
death. Principles are live wires of life, and we must immedi¬ 
ately repair the one that gets broken or unconnected. Par¬ 
ents are not repairing the broken moral principles. We have 
broken them in becoming commercialized. Parents are be¬ 
coming soft and flabby; they can be shaped by their children 
at will, instead of shaping the children. Life is more than 
cigarettes, sodas, ice cream, candies, chocolates, and cos¬ 
metics. We no longer hear of the wonderful American 
homes that once existed. We no longer hear of homes where 
honesty, thrift, honor, industry, and love of God are taught. 
Franklins have seemed to cease to be born. Editors of to¬ 
day want ‘News.’ They are dying for news, sensational, 
thrilling, home destroying, youth-corrupting news of all 
kinds of crime. Young people can get nothing from the 
newspapers that is elevating or improving. Girls have ceased 
to believe that women were ever of spotless character; the 
priceless treasures of pure homes. That is all old-fashioned. 
All fear of God is dying. Solomon has been declared old- 
fashioned even by preachers, who teach that the fear of God 
is no longer the beginning of wisdom. They would rather 
have us believe that reverence for the monkey as our an¬ 
cestor, or the theory of evolution is the beginning of wisdom. 
Teach the child such things, and when he is old ‘he will not 
depart from it,’ seems to be the motto of our schools of to¬ 
day. These things will at least enable the child to think for 
himself. Sometimes it is the mothers that are to blame, but 
more often it is the fathers like you. Do you ever teach 


The Gentleman From Maryland 349 

your boys anything about God or the Bible, either by word 
or action ? ” 

“I leave that to their mother and the preacher. That’s 
what we pay him for.” 

“And what he teaches during one hour every week, you 
destroy by your attitude during the rest of the week.” 

“I have always thought that my duty was done, when I 
supplied means for a good, comfortable living.” 

“You are mistaken. In all ages those who have inherited 
wealth have squandered it and spent useless lives, because 
their fathers have never taught them anything, except to pay 
their honest bills. There are noted exceptions, of course, but 
as in other lines, they prove the rule. If my advice is to be 
considered at all, stop following your present practices, and 
adopt a better plan. It is better for a child to have the better 
opinion of his father after he is gone to glory, than while he 
is alive and working hard to support an idle family. Chil¬ 
dren will forgive a father who has convinced them that he 
has acted wholly for their interests; but this thing which you 
are planning to do will never be forgiven by them.” 

“Maybe you are right, Purnell, I will consider it.” 

“I hope I am right, anyhow.” 

“But it’s a hard thing to see other fathers providing for 
their sons, while mine work for a living.” 

“You can depend on it; the others are not any more worthy 
or wise than your own. I was a poor boy myself, and I can 
remember the day when you and I attended a picnic. We 
each had a quarter, and we had a hard time spending those 
two bits. But we managed to do it some way. I thought I 
was rich. An extra nickle would have made me feel like 
John D. But to-day five dollars would not give a boy as 
much of a good time as that which we enjoyed.” 

The two friends departed, the one to fight the battle be¬ 
tween love and duty; the other to ponder over the peculiar 
traits of human nature in men of the weaker type. 


350 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


A few days later the Senator received a letter written by 
Mr. Warfield, which read as follows: 

“The inevitable has happened. I took your advice, but 
the whole family thinks I have been in communication with 
the Devil himself. I did not tell them to whom they paid 
that fine compliment. I tried to explain to them that the 
Devil would never advise a man to attempt to save anyone. 
My wife said that I would be the death of her by sending 
our sons to his diabolical majesty, or words to that effect; 
David declares that I have acted infamously, for a father 
that has heretofore been such a model; that he will now go 
the limit. The rest of the children wanted to know what 
they were to expect. I replied, ‘The same thing that has 
overtaken your brother David, if you conduct yourselves 
without more merit.’ To-day they have all gone somewhere; 
but I am expecting them to return to my shelter before long. 
I will never recant, however. I have cut down my bridges 
behind me.” 

The outcome of the whole matter was as Purnell expected. 
Young Warfield became one of the most successful men of 
his county, and inherited his portion of his father’s fortune, 
which he still has, in addition to much more besides. The 
blood of the great was in his veins, but it was in great danger. 
It needed only a pump to start its flow, and that pump was 
anything else but idleness and dissipation. 

As the Senator finished reading his friend’s letter his cook 
entered the room. James had just mumbled something which 
escaped the sharp ears of the old darkey. There is not a 
more curious race of people than the Negro, but they can be 
trusted not to spread family secrets oftener than the majority 
of white men or women. They take great pride in being con¬ 
sidered a member of the family for which they work. Of 
course, to-day only the older ones would consider a posi¬ 
tion where they would be confined during every day. 

She spoke as she entered. “Am yo’ all swearin’, Suh? 


The Gentleman From Maryland 351 

Mos’ everybody swears now ’days. Yo’ ought to know bet- 
tah, Suh.” 

‘‘I didn’t Aunt Leah. I was only thinking aloud. Why 
do folks cuss anyhow ? ” 

“Ouah pastah says, ‘It’s ’cause dey wantah talk to de 
Debil about de good Lawd.’ ” 

“But they don’t talk about the Lord; they talk to him. 
They take his name in vain.” 

“Well, I don’ jes’ ’zackly know how dat am. Howsum- 
ever, I knows nobody’s got no cause to cuss de good Lawd, 
fo’ dey cain’t make one hair white ner black by doin’ it.” 

“Where did swearing come from in the first place, 
Auntie ? ” 

“I don’ ’zackly know, Suh. Ah reckons it done come from 
de city, dough. Mos’ every evil thing comes from de city. 
Did you’ all evah heah of a blonde niggah wench? No? 
Well, tuder day, Suh, I see one ob dem blondes. She say 
she am a purr-ohide now. I say, T don’ know whedder yo’ 
am er no, but yo’ haih looks mighty like de fur on a yaller 
tom-cat’s tail an’ back, when he’s astride a fence, a gitten 
outa de way ob a houn’ dog.’ Why, Suh, hit was all standin’ 
out on en’ all ovah her hade, till she look like a monstrosity 
fo’ shuah. But still de kink was dar, an’ she needn’t try to 
turn white. A Eth’opean can’t, can’t change her hide if she 
can her haih.” 

“Well, she’s just like the white girls there, Auntie. I saw 
a missionary sometime ago, who stated that the style of hair 
dressing used by the girls of to-day came from inland Africa. 
When I was a boy, I saw, in my geography, pictures of the 
Hottentots, whose hair stood out on its ends just like your 
description. The rest of the world can’t give us anything 
better than we have got, therefore, we take what we can get, 
and are apparently satisfied with it.” 

“Dat am right, sho’ ’miff, but dis heah darkey will nevah 


352 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


disfigure what de Almighty Lawd give me. I’s as neah 
Africa as I wan’a git, an’ dat’s a fac’.” 

During all this dialogue she was very busy dusting the 
furniture of the room. The old Negroes never think of 
standing idle while they talk to the white people; they always 
find something to do. The younger ones, however, are so 
worthless that they never think of moving. They have be¬ 
come a detriment to many communities, rather than an asset. 
While they exist, white men or women will not do the work 
which Negroes have been doing. As a consequence, the 
overworked farmer’s wife and daughters have it to do in 
the rural communities. Yet a stranger within their midst is 
greatly impressed by the appearance which the Negroes make 
before the public. He would not believe the native white 
man if he should tell the truth about them. They seem to 
have an art of turning a few cents into many dollars, by co¬ 
operation. The white man has not discovered the art. It 
will be better for him if he never does. 


CHAPTER XXIX 


AN AMERICAN TOURNAMENT 

Several days after Aunt Leah had diagnosed the case of 
her unfortunate sister, the Gentleman from Maryland sat in 
his private office in deep meditation. He was thinking of the 
coming marriage of his daughter. Within a few days he 
would take his family back to the old county-seat, where his 
home was; where he was more comfortable and better satis¬ 
fied than anywhere else in the world. Only at times like this, 
when he stopped to think, did he admit this to himself, for 
almost the entire day, and much of the night was taken 
up by weighty and momentous duties. 

While he was living over again much of his younger life 
he was abruptly interrupted by the opening of his office door. 
He had just emerged, in his reveries, from the waters of 
the beloved Pocomoke, with the almost lifeless form of a 
young girl, when a youth was ushered into the office. The 
Senator was inclined to be curt with his caller, for no one 
desires to be interrupted at such times by callers. 

The Senator thought that he had never seen a finer 
specimen of young manhood; tall, muscular, robust, and 
rugged, the youth stood before him as a young giant. He 
had the feeling that he was an old Lilliputian, who had met, 
for the first time, manhood as it ought to be. The youth 
had large honest eyes, a thick mass of wavy brown hair; a 
large, but well-shaped mouth. The striking feature of his 
face was the deep eye-socket and the extraordinarily high 
forehead. Intellectual power was written over his counte¬ 
nance, but one thing marred the otherwise perfect figure— 
deep, dark circles showed plainly under his eyes, revealing 


354 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


that the giant had been too familiar with sin in its worst 
forms. It would take many years of clean living to eradicate 
that trademark. 

“Well,” said Senator Purnell, “to what do I owe this 
interruption ? ” 

“Please pardon the interruption, Senator Purnell; but I 
wish to speak to you on a very important question. I am 
David Warfield, your friend's son.” 

“I certainly did not recognize you in the dim light, or I 
would not have spoken to you as I did. So many men 
come to me for different reasons that I sometimes lose some 
of my patience. Speak out, and I shall be glad to do anything 
that I can for you.” 

“I do not desire different treatment than others, Senator; 
I hesitated to come, but prudence seemed to urge it. There¬ 
fore, I am here to tell you that I greatly love your daughter, 
and ask your permission to speak to her.” 

“Then you have not spoken to her ? ” 

“Not directly, Sir.” 

“Then don't do it, David. I want to save you embarrass¬ 
ment. I suppose she has allowed you to say some things 
that she should not have permitted, for she is already 
engaged to a man in Snow Hill. I will frankly tell you that 
I do not sanction the match; but she is adamant, and you 
know how women are sometimes. The man has never come 
to me in the manner that you have done, but I suppose it 
would have done no good.” 

“I certainly am sorry, for it is partly through her influence 
that I have found myself. She said that a man of my type 
and ability ought to be a leader of men, rather than a social 
parasite. It hurt, of course, but I am glad that she said it. 
I wanted her further aid and encouragement.” 

“I wish you had it, David. I think you have done a noble 
thing. The youth of to-day do not seem to take life as 


An American Tournament 


355 


seriously as they should. I hope the best that there is comes 
to you, and that you always merit it.” 

After a few other remarks the young man silently left his 
host’s office, determined to make his last call upon Katherine. 
When that call was ended the young lady was not a little 
surprised, and perhaps, somewhat disappointed at the manner 
in which he bade her good-bye. If she had made truthful 
confession to herself she would have admitted that she 
thought more of David than of any man she knew. He was 
the only one, with the exception of Howard Irvin, who would 
not submit without protest to her will. These two had wills 
of their own, and expressed them. After all discussions to 
the contrary, even the so-called emancipated women of 
to-day, have a greater respect for the conquerer in love than 
for the puppet. There is a very poor chance to-day, either 
in love or war, for the man who has a soft spinal column. 

Katherine had never desired to return to Snow Hill upon 
previous occasions, when the Senator’s duties at the Capitol 
permitted him to return. This year, however, there were two 
reasons that caused her to look forward to the old county 
seat, and the life it offered. David Warfield had ceased to 
be a visitor at their apartment—she still wondered why— 
and her marriage was only a few weeks in the distance, as 
she thought. 

After they returned to Snow Hill Katherine told Mr 
Whaley that she had decided to be married the last week of 
the month. That would give her about two weeks to complete 
her arrangements. Whaley became jubilant at the news, for 
he often felt that she would never set the date, although she 
had often declared to him that she would not disappoint him. 
Yet he somehow felt convinced that there would be no 
wedding day for him. 

Preparations for the wedding filled all the time between 
their arrival and the nuptial day. Although Katherine ad¬ 
mitted to herself that her only motive was, not love, but 


356 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


riches, envy and jealousy, she felt that much must be done, 
and the days seemed far too short. She had Mrs. Ward by 
her side continually, for no social event could be held in the 
town without the help of that handy person. Katherine 
often appealed to Mrs. Marah, but not one thing would that 
lady do for her. She kept her room now almost continually, 
leaving it only for her meals, or at the call of old Israel 
Crippen. Mrs. Ward was despatched many times to solicit 
the aid of Mrs. Marah, but all in vain. 

These two women had become great friends within the last 
few days before the wedding. They seemed to have much 
to talk about, for many times, when Katherine would send 
Mrs. Ward to the room of the other woman, she would 
remain so long that Katherine would have to go for her aid. 

On more than one occasion Katherine upbraided her faith¬ 
ful ally for her negligence. ‘‘I can’t think what you two are 
always talking about,” she would say, “I know it is about 
me, for you are always at a loss for something to say when 
I appear. I believe you pity me, I really do. Almost every¬ 
body pities me. I am not Daddy Purnell’s daughter, and 
certainly Mr. Whaley will be as kind to me as Daddy has 
been.” 

“I hope so, honey; yet you told him that you didn’t love 
him. Love is what counts with me, honey,” Mrs. Ward 
answered. 

“But we are not deceiving each other. He knows I don’t 
love him. I know he loves me. If he is willing, I don’t see 
why I should hesitate.” 

“I reckon it’s all right, honey, but it don’t seem Nature’s 
way. The old year always passes out as the new year is 
born. They never exist together. That’s how it oughta be 
with humans.” 

“Many young people marry, who do not love each other. 
They say their’s is a marriage of consequence or convenience. 


An American Tournament 


35 7 


I may call ours that, and still be safer than they are, for love 
exists at least on one side/’ 

“I know that, honey. So does the good Book say, ‘The 
lion and the lamb will lay down together,’ but that day is not 
here yet.” 

“Do you think I will be devoured as a helpless lamb? 
Don’t worry yourself on that point, Mrs. Ward. If there’s 
any devouring to be done, the lamb will do her share, never 
fear.” 

“I believe I can trust you there, but where there is no love 
there is no happiness. ‘Better the poor man’s crust,’ and 
happiness, than the rich man’s wallet and strife.” 

“Well, I have decided, because upon the day I am married 
I will receive my own wallet. Then let others say what 
they please, the reins will be in my hands.” 

Nothing more on the subject was said by either of them 
from that day. They kept busily working upon the many 
details that had to be considered. 

During all of these preparations Senator Purnell did not 
interfere. He met Mr. Whaley many times in the Coving¬ 
ton House, but never said more than a few words of greeting 
to him. He was not going to play the hypocrite with him, 
and Whaley, understanding the man, did not expect him to. 
But one day, as Whaley was helping Katherine and Mrs. 
Ward, the Senator entered the room, and was challenged by 
his old enemy. 

“What is prohibition doing for our land now, Senator, 
making outlaws ? ” 

The Senator resisted the temptation to make a cutting re¬ 
tort, but remembering that they were in his own house, he 
replied, “I don’t think so; we have no prisoners in our jail 
here now. The sheriff has very little to do now, and the 
lawyers are complaining that we have ruined their living. 
Many who have lived from the results of the saloon are 


358 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


actually hungry, or are doing more remunerative work. 
They have ceased to be parasites on the county.” 

“But you haven’t succeeded in breaking up the traffic, 
though.” 

“No, and we will not succeed as long as men exist who 
do not regard laws. We still have murderers, thieves, 
adulterers, liars, and blasphemers, but we have had laws 
against such crimes ever since the time of Moses without 
destroying the offenders, or these evils. That is the reason 
we need laws. As soon as men do what is right we will need 
no laws or lawyers.” 

This conversation took place on the morning of the second 
day before the wedding. On that day the young men of 
the town were completing arrangements for the annual 
county tournament, - which was to be held that afternoon. 
Whaley therefore asked the Senator if he was planning to 
see the tournament. 

“Yes, I believe that I will see some of it, at least.” 

“Then you will see some of the results of your law. There 
will be plenty of ‘booze’ there; the riders could not take the 
rings without a drink or two to steady their arms.” 

“Where will they get it ? ” 

“Most anywhere. Nearly every vacant house and piece of 
woodland is the hiding place for a ‘still’ through the whole 
county. I could lead you to a dozen to-day, if you wished to 
see them.” 

“I understand that you are going to ride as usual. Do 
you intend to steady your arm in this manner ? ” 

“No, I never needed it. I am not a prohibitionist as you 
know; but I never taste liquors. I have never desired them.” 

For several years these county tournaments had been 
won by Whaley who generally proved his skill before the 
spectators, by suspending a lady’s finger ring from one of the 
arches, then taking it on the point of his lance while riding 
under it at a terrific speed. He still held the championship in 


An American Tournament 


359 


spite of his age, for where other men gave up the sport as 
soon as they were married, Whaley continued to ride, because 
he was still a bachelor. Knights from the adjoining counties 
were admitted to ride in this one, and there was considerable 
excitement caused by this fact, for the tournament would be 
followed by a dance in the evening. 

When Whaley reached the field he found several of these 
famous riders already arrived. They greeted him as “The 
knight of Worcester/’ for he rode with that title. Some of 
these knights from a distance had been persuaded to en¬ 
ter by the report that Worcester’s knight would not ride. 
They now seemed disappointed that he was ready to take 
part, for at least two refused to pay their admission to the 
riding, because they deemed it so much money thrown away. 

After each knight had ridden through the arches three 
times the clerks announced that several of them had been 
eliminated by missing one or more of the rings. It was a 
difficult thing, requiring much skill and dexterity, to take 
three rings of about an inch in diameter, suspended from 
as many arches, while a horse, in a “dead run” passed under 
them. But many men were so expert at the game that they 
could easily take the smallest finger ring on the finger of any 
lady in the audience. Each time the riders competed during 
the day the rings that were used were smaller than the ones 
taken by the knight on his previous ride, but as the rings 
grew smaller the knights dropped out by missing them, until 
only two riders remained. One of these was John Mason, 
who rode as the Knight of Sandy Hill, and the Knight of 
Worcester. They had defeated the Knights of Princess 
Anne, Somerset, Wicomico, Salisbury, Onancock, Accomac, 
and many other places. They were now to ride alone for 
the purse, and for the honor of crowning the queen of love 
and beauty, with whom the winner would lead off the dance 
that night. 

As the smallest iron rings had been used during the 


360 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


previous riding the herald called for three finger rings, which 
were gladly offered by as many ladies. The Knight of Sandy 
Hill rode first. He was greatly elated by the cheers that 
arose after he had taken all three rings. Then the herald 
shouted, “Sir Knight of Worcester, prepare to charge.” The 
knight rode forward for the charge, his hand shaking from 
the excitement of the moment. As he passed the grand stand 
a great shout arose from the spectators who cheered him on 
his course, but this noise proved his undoing. His horse 
became excited, and before he succeeded in getting the horse 
on the course, he has passed under the first arch, just far 
enough from the ring to miss it. The herald then called for 
silence, but it was soon broken by a terrific shout as the 
herald annnounced that the Knight of Sandy Hill had won 
the day. The Knight of Worcester surrendered the cham¬ 
pionship, and suffered greater chagrin by seeing his 
successful rival crown Katherine Purnell as the queen of love 
and beauty. 

The Senator arrived at the tournament just in time to see 
the result, at the end, but he also saw what Whaley had 
promised he would see. Many of the knights had lost 
because they were able to get “That which steadied their 
arms,” but the tournament was won by the two who did not 
need anything to steady them. The Senator was surprised at 
seeing how bold the law breakers were becoming. They 
did not hesitate to appear in the open with the illicit article 
for sale. But he was not discouraged. He realized that the 
next campaign must be one to awaken the ordinary citizen to 
his duty of seeing that the laws of the land were respected. 

Although Mason had won the honors of the day, he was 
not permitted to dance that night with the queen of the day. 
She pleaded that she wanted a good night’s sleep, because of 
the nearness of her wedding. She therefore did not attend 
the dance, but returned home where she finished her plans 
for the wedding. 


An American Tournament 


361 


The young people of the town had planned to trim the 
church on the following day. Mr. Whaley had told them 
that they could have his wagon to “carry” in the evergreens 
from the river swamp, but he had no one to drive the team, 
Someone suggested Uncle Israel, but when they looked for 
him, he was not to be found anywhere. He had disappeared, 
and no one seemed to have seen him for the last two days. 

The wedding was to be held in All Hallows Church, be¬ 
cause Mr. Whaley had moved his membership from the 
Makemie Memorial Church to the other in order to please 
his mother, who had been a life-long member of that body. 
This was the church that was to be trimmed by the young 
people. It stands on an embankment several feet higher 
than the streets, and is approached by several stone steps, 
over which has grown a thick mass of Virginia creeper, which 
hides practically all the outside walls. Its windows are all 
of beautiful memorial stained glass, and are built in the 
Gothic style. It is one of the oldest churches on the Shore. 

The people of Snow Hill are not only distinguished by 
their politics, but also by their church membership, or 
religious affiliations. To be a Democrat is to be a Presby¬ 
terian or an Episcopalian; to be a Republican is to be a 
Methodist or a Baptist. Therefore the elite of the town are 
either Presbyterians or Episcopalians. This principle is 
carried so far that only a Democrat can preach at the 
Presbyterian or Episcopalian church. Of course, the Epis¬ 
copalians, who have a bishop, cannot control the matter 
wholly, but they show that they can control the rector, who 
is approved by the bishop. At least they can control his 
salary, and by that his tongue. If he proves to be a man 
that cannot be controlled, and many of them do, his useful¬ 
ness in the town is of short duration. A candidate for the 
Presbyterian pulpit must declare his politics before he is 
considered at all. Needless to say, those who declare them¬ 
selves to be Republicans, need not make further application. 


362 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


The Methodist church is the most cosmopolitan of all. It 
is the only one that is growing. The rest has been at a 
standstill for years. Yet their influence is greatly felt in the 
town. Like all rural churches they are the backbone of the 
community, for the sermons heard within the two older 
churches are real masterpieces. Our cities generally claim to 
have great ministers, but this is not always so. The greatest 
preachers of all denominations are in the country. Good 
organizers may be found in the city pastorates, but the good, 
sound sermons are found in the country. 

While the young people were trimming the church on the 
day before the wedding, a stranger, who came to the door, 
asked for Senator Purnell, who happened to be at the church. 
This stranger took the Senator to the office of Squire Town¬ 
send, where he found Walter Whaley slightly wounded in 
the leg. The Squire explained to Mr. Purnell that he was 
maintaining as much secrecy concerning the affair, as he 
could, because of the wedding that would take place the next 
day. Then the stranger, who was one of the three unknown 
men in the office, told how the wounded Whaley had been 
hurt. 

For sometime previous to this the Negroes of Snow Hill, 
and the neighboring towns, seemed to have no difficulty in 
finding whiskey. Many of them came from the direction of 
Stockton, but the loyalty of the Negro to his own color is 
beyond reproach. No matter what crime is committed by 
one of them, from stealing a chicken to murder, the rest 
never know anything about it. Several of them had been 
arrested for carrying whiskey, but not one would divulge the 
source from which the liquor was obtained, not even when 
promised freedom from jail. The county authorities either 
could not, or would not, find out who was supplying it. 

At last some of the women of the town notified the State 
authorities. These officers had been in the town upon 
several previous occasions, but never found any signs of 


An American Tournament 


363 


whiskey “stills.” They always took great care to notify 
everybody of their mission, therefore, there was nothing for 
them to do but to look around, then to return a report that 
Worcester county was a very law abiding place, for they 
found no traces of illegal whiskey. 

But these men, who were at Squire Townsend’s were not 
State officers. They were Federal officers from the office of 
Internal Revenue at Baltimore. Their mission was to find 
out whether whiskey was being made and sold on the East¬ 
ern Shore without the proper revenue stamps. They arrived 
as contractors for the future crop of Irish potatoes. They 
had secretly trailed these boot-leggers to a large and very 
dense swamp, covered by forest trees, which lies west of 
Stockton. It is known as Holly swamp, and is well known 
as the rendezvous of the braver class of Negroes, and many 
white men, who gather there to “shoot craps” with the 
Negroes, in order to rob them of what little change they 
might have. 

Holly swamp is a large tract of virgin timber that is of 
immense value, yet it cannot be reached by wagons on account 
of the bogs that are found everywhere. Farmers in the 
neighborhood claim that more horses and cattle have been 
lost in this swamp than by the dread disease that sweeps 
the Shore frequently. The only safe way to travel through 
it, except in one or two places, is on foot. Then the man 
who walks must know the dangers that lurk under the 
treacherous vegetable crust that has formed-from the de¬ 
caying leaves and wood. Upon several occasions gunners 
and coon hunters have been saved from horrible deaths by 
the timely arrivel of a companion or guide. For this reason 
only the most daring will attempt to travel it alone. 

Then, too, the Negroes fear it for other reasons. On its 
borders there is a very old house known throughout the 
whole region as “Sheephouse” The origin of the name is 
not known, but its fame is well known, at least. Those who 


364 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


do not fear to go there will find an ancient home-made table, 
benches, chairs, and a bed, all home-made. There is an old- 
fashioned plate stove that is fast rusting away, in this region 
of salt air and mist from the ocean, but a bit of superstition 
still clings to this stove. Visitors to the place often ask to 
whom this old place belongs, and why the furniture is allowed 
to remain unmolested from year to year. For it seems that 
even this furniture would not escape being carried away 
by some of the needy Negroes, if some cause did not per¬ 
mit it. 

To these questions there seems to be no satisfactory 
answer. At the present time the deed to the property is 
held by one man, and the property is rented out to another 
man, who receives the small amount of money that it brings. 
These two men have quarreled over the ownership rights 
for many years, but it seems that the man who receives the 
rent has the better end of the controversy. Neither man 
can sell the property, for neither one will, or is able to, give 
a clear title of ownership to a purchaser. Nor will one of 
the claimants give up his claims to the other for any consid¬ 
eration. Many years ago the place belonged to an old 
woman by the name of Jones. It is still believed that she 
enticed unsuspecting people, both black and white, to this 
house; then frightened them into paying her money by caus¬ 
ing the same stove and pieces of furniture, to move around 
the room as though they had life. Many of the superstitious 
Negroes, and not a few white people will not go near the 
place, because they are afraid that the spirit of the mysterious 
occultist still hovers in and around the house. Several old 
persons can still be found, who declare they they have wit¬ 
nessed the dancing of the stove and the chairs. They describe 
how the lids of the stove would rattle when no one was within 
reach of them. They also witness that the table would arise 
from the floor several inches, where it would remain 


An American Tournament 


365 


suspended in mid air until commanded to return to the floor, 
by the Jones woman. 

Besides this, they still keep alive the old tradition by 
placing all blame for the tradition and misfortune that cling 
to the old place, upon “dat ole Jones woman.” If they are 
hunting at night, and a coon or opposum, which has been 
started by the dogs, heads for Holly Swamp, they quietly but 
quickly call back their dogs and return home, for “It war not 
a coon nor ’possum atall; it war Mistis Jones herse’f, a’leadin’ 
of ’em to destruction in de swamp.” If a dog proves so 
headstrong as to continue to follow into the swamp, they 
will invariably declare that it never returns. “Mistis Jones 
done got dat houn’ dawg sho’ ’nuff,” they declare. If a black 
cat crosses the road in front of them, they will go no farther, 
but they return to their homes for that day. “It don’ mean 
nothin’ but trouble to go on, for Mistis Jones done cross’ de 
road in front ob us.” 

But those bent upon breaking the laws of the land care 
nothing for God, the devil, or spirits. And when the agents 
from Baltimore, about whom we have already spoken, 
reached the swamp, they left their machine at Turkey trap, 
an old farm near the edge of the timber, and started to 
explore a little for themselves. They had not gone far when 
they heard a peculiar sound like that often make by a wood 
chopper as he strikes the blows with his axe. “Haa, haa, 
haa,” which were soon followed by such expressions as 
“Theah yo’ ah, ole pet; come baby, come seben; come ’leben, 
ole gal,” and other expressions used by dice players through 
the Southland. The officers swooped down upon the players 
like hawks upon chickens, and captured the entire gang, 
together with several stone jugs of whiskey. 

“Where did you get this ? ” demanded one of the officers, 
of one of the frightened Negroes. 

“Obah dar,” was the answer, as the Negro pointed 
toward the Jones House. 


366 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


“Over where ? ” 

“Come on, I’ll carry yo’ all to de place.” 

“What were you going to do with this whiskey ? ” 

“We war jes’ a toten it to town.” 

“Don’t you know you are breaking the law ? ” 

“Yase suh, but de white folks breaks so many, dat we po’ 
niggers thinks dat we can break some, too. But we ain’t 
shahp enough to do it and keep outen de jail.” 

“How often have you been in Jessup’s Cut?” 

Jessup’s Cut is the name of the House of Correction of 
the State of Maryland. It is situated at Jessups, a station 
a few miles from Baltimore, on the Baltimore and Ohio 
railroad. 

“Ah ginerally wintahs dar. Dey ain’ much fun aroun’ 
here, an’ less to eat, so I jes’ mosey along to de Cut, an’ bode 
dar during de wintah.” 

“That’s where you’ll board this winter, all right.” 

The Negroes “carried” them to a dense place in the forest 
near the Jones house, where the officers saw several white 
men moving around a shelter made of logs and brush. An 
officer was left in charge of the prisoners, and the others 
attacked the unsuspecting moonshiners. These all surren¬ 
dered immediately and threw up their hands, but one man, 
who was at the back of the shelter. He drew his gun on 
one of the officers, who immediately fired. The bullet struck 
the man in the thigh. This man proved to be Whaley. He 
had spent that morning with his future wife; the afternoon 
he had spent in Holly Swamp with his confederates, who 
were making moonshine to be peddled by the Negroes. 


CHAPTER XXX 


“just a slight accident; it will not amount to much” 

It is impossible to describe the feeling of Senator Purnell 
as the officer told him the story in the office of Squire Town- 
sened. His future son-in-law, at least by adoption, shot on 
the day before the wedding, by a Federal officer, for break¬ 
ing the law of the country. What could he tell his daughter ? 
He resolved to tell her nothing, but to do all he could to 
keep her from hearing about what had happened. He would 
send her to Whaley that evening, and they could arrange 
things as they pleased. He resolved to have nothing more 
to do with the affair. It was necessary for him, however, 
to intercede with the officer, in order to save Whaley from 
prison. 

In the meantime, there would be little danger of her 
hearing anything for the men who knew anything about the 
affair were all safely in jail, and the warden was instructed 
to admit no one until further notified. By Purnell’s in¬ 
fluence, Whaley had been held at the Squire’s office, not as 
a prisoner, but as a wounded man, who was not able to walk. 
Yet the Senator was not so sure of secrecy being maintained 
when these officers reported that they had also placed in the 
jail several jugs of whiskey, which had mysteriously dis¬ 
appeared the first night. No trace of them could be found, 
and the warden swore that he knew nothing about them. 

When the loss of this evidence was reported to Squire 
Townsend, he said, “Gentlemen, I have always known that 
whiskey would evaporate, but I’ll be darned if I ever before 
heard of stone jugs evaporating.” 

That night the Senator took his daughter to the home of 


368 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


Mr. Whaley, where he left her under the care of Mrs. Ward, 
who had been called by the wounded man to be his nurse. 

When Katherine entered the room her elderly fiance 
greeted her cordially. “Are you prepared for your wedding 
day, honey ?” he asked. 

“Yes, but you are not. What in the world has happened to 
you ? ” 

“Just a slight accident; it will not amount to much. I 
believe that nothing, no matter how serious, should be kept 
from a wife by a husband, and I will tell you all.” 

Then he told her exactly what had happened, and again 
begged her not to allow such a small thing to interfere with 
their plans. 

“But you can’t go to the church tomorrow,” she said. 

“We can be married in this room. I can sit up, but the 
rest will be the same. Then, when I am well, we will go to 
Philadelphia, where they are not so skittish about 
prohibition.” 

“It’s not prohibition that has caused the trouble. It is 
your breaking the law.” She was in tears now, the first he 
had ever seen her shed. 

“But honey, that is the way I have made the money which 
you are going to enjoy; the money that is all yours. If the 
women and a few weak-minded men pass laws to ruin my 
business, I will break those laws.” 

“Don’t say Daddy Purnell is weak-minded, or I’ll never 
marry you.” 

He was alarmed now. “Please forget that I said that. I 
suppose there are many well thinking people that want 
prohibition, but it seems hard to be forced to give up my 
business by laws.” 

“It was hard to give up slaves, and states’ rights, too, 
wasn’t it? Yet we were forced to do it, because it was for 
the good of our country, and our own souls. It cost us 
more than it will whiskey men, and I am glad that the great- 


369 


“Just a Slight Accident; . . .” 

est majority of them live in the North. Daddy Purnell 
said so.” 

A smile played around his mouth. “Now don’t preach to 
me, Katherine. You are one of the few of my friends who has 
never done that. Come here tomorrow, and after the wed¬ 
ding there will be no more law-breaking done by me.” 

“If you will honestly promise me that, I will come.” 

“I do promise it. I have never drunk whiskey, and I have 
always believed that not a man had to get drunk, unless he 
wanted to. In fact, I despise whiskey, and the man who 
gets drunk; but because there is so much money in the 
business I have held to it until I have gotten into trouble. 
I am sorry for your sake. There will be no trouble for you 
on this score; I swear it now.” 

“Then I will come, but I am disappointed. You well 
know the reason that I wanted to be married in the church.” 

“Do you want to postpone it for a week or ten days, little 
girl?” 

“No, I reckon not. I will be here tomorrow at noon. 
Good-bye.” 

“So long, see you tomorrow.” 

Whaley was happy again. He really feared to tell her 
the truth, but thought the best thing would be for her to 
hear it from him, rather than from someone else. After 
she was gone he was very glad that he had done so. 

Then he tried to get Mrs. Ward to talk to him; but that 
lady, for the first time in her life, was not inclined to talk, 
and showed no curiosity at all. He then attempted to make 
her angry by teasing her, but this trick of his also failed this 
time. She continued her knitting, and answered him with 
as few words as possible. After several attempts, and as 
many failures, he asked for a drink of water, and having 
received it he went to sleep. Mrs. Ward then retired to her 
own room. 

The morning of his wedding day found the wounded man 


370 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


very anxious for the event; so anxious, in fact, that he 
despatched Mrs. Ward to the Covington Mansion to inquire 
for the health of his bride-to-be. She came into the room, 
after her return from the mission, with a favorable report; 
but she had not lost any of her gloomy attitude of the pre¬ 
vious evening. She even seemed more morbid than ever. 

After a short time he said, in his most pleasing manner: 
“Why so moody and cross this morning? You ought to 
cheer me a bit, because I cannot go to the church.” 

“You don’t need cheerin , , ,, she answered. “I can’t tell 
to save my life why a man of your age goes to galin’ and 
marryin’ babies. It’s about time for older folks to feel 
gloomy.” 

“Well, if the lady’s satisfied I ought to be. I have no one 
but relatives to leave my money to. I shan’t leave them a 
bone of contention; I shall give it all to my young wife, who 
will have the power to use it as she pleases.” 

“You’re buying her then?” 

“Why not ? Scores of men older than I am are doing it.” 

“Yes, and they give their young lives for a mess of worn- 
out, soiled, humanity, because they are tempted by ready 
money to give up young frien’s an’ love an’ all that’s worth 
living for. But you’ll have more to tote aroun’ than she 
will to carry, don’t ferget that.” 

“Well, that’s better than I expected. I thought you were 
going to give me some of your tokens.” 

“I’m a goin’ to, too. I ast her what signs of good or bad 
luck she had this week. She said she spilled the salt. Now 
that’s the sign of bad luck to her. I ast her whose face she 
saw when she looked down the well on the last May day, 
but she said it wasn’t yours. She said she didn’t believe in 
such tokens, but even if this is your wedding day you will 
not be married.” 

“That certainly is encouraging, when there are only a few 
hours left.” 


371 


“Just a Slight Accident; . . ” 

“ ‘There’s many a slip/ you know. She also dreamed of 
money bags three nights in succession. That means a dread¬ 
ful thing will happen. But what I can’t understand is, that 
her left hand itched and her right eye itched, while I was 
there. I seen her scratching them.” 

“Perhaps that means good luck this time.” 

“No, it don’t. When your left hand itches, it means you 
will receive money. Of course she will do that if she marries 
you, but when your right eye itches it means that you will 
cry. Now these two things are bound to happen at the 
same time, for the eye and the hand were both itching at 
the same time. I can’t see ezackly how that will work.” 

“She might cry for joy when she learns how much I will 
give her.” 

“And when I went there she hadn’t had breakfast yet, but 
she was singing. If you sing before breakfast, you will cry 
before night.” 

“She will have nothing to cry about this night, you can 
bet your bottom dollar on that.” 

“And there’s another thing that worries me. Katherine 
persuaded Miss Marah to put the piece of her clothes that 
she liked best, under her head last night, and who do you 
suppose she dreamed she would marry ? ” 

“I haven’t the least idea.” 

“Then I will tell you. She dreamed that she would marry 
you. That would be a better match than the one you want 
to form.” 

“That certainly shows that your tokens are all wrong. I 
would never marry a recluse like that woman.” 

“She may be a re-cluze, whatever kind of creature that is, 
but she is a fine woman. She is one woman that knows 
nobody’s business but her’n.” 

“You might learn something from her, then, Miss Anne.” 

“Now don’t think you’re smart, for you ain’t. I’m goin’ 
to get you a snack of hawg meat an’ taters for breakfast, 


372 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


an’ leave you for a while. Miss Marah wants me to help her 
this mawnin’, if you can spare me.” 

“Of course I can. You’re helping me when you’re helping 
her this morning.” 

When she had gone from the room, after making it look 
as much like a bridal chamber as possible, he thought deeply 
upon her cutting, if good-natured, remarks about his age. 
“A mass of worn-out, soiled humanity, am I; that’s the way 
I’ve been treated all my life. But some people are looking 
for bargains marked, ‘Slightly soiled—greatly reduced,’ and 
many can be found. Yet how much better for me, if I had 
seen the peril and temptations in time to shun them. I 
thought I could make my fortune, then turn good. The 
mark of the bargain is upon me; and Mrs. Ward has read 
it. How many others have done so, I do not know.” 

Yes, it takes a very little blot or spot to cheapen a fine 
article; of a very slight blemish of workmanship to defect 
a very valuable piece of cloth. Yet young people insist upon 
thinking that it is different with character. You cannot wash 
character nor scour manhood or womanhood any easier than 
you can silks. God alone may blot out our transgressions, 
if we cease to continue in sin; but in the eyes of the world 
we always will be cheaper because of our fall, than the finest 
or purest articles of the human race. It is a fallacy and a 
deception to heed the old voice of the tempter when he says, 
“Do as Rome does.” Neither is there any virtue in sowing 
wild oats, as many self-deceived men would have us believe. 
When this is done the harvest will be wild. 

The young person who trifles with attractive wickedness 
can never reclaim is former value. If he lives to be seventy, 
that one year he went wrong will grip his memory with 
bands of steel. He can never balance the life of a man who 
never commits the injurious wrongs. 

In spite of what others may say to the contrary the truest 
and most dependable friend is the one who never succumbed 


“Just a Slight Accident; . . ” 


373 


to great temptation. He is not a bargain; he does not have 
to lower his value; and in cases of life and death, we do not 
desire bargains or remnants from bargain counters. We 
want the best we can command. 

The youth who chooses to sin a little stores up trouble and 
constant peril. God can never use such a man as fully as 
the man who abandons his conscience to travel the road of 
folly; men will never trust him so completely; and the girl 
who is to share the remainder of his life, whether months or 
years, will find too late that her bargain cannot be exchanged 
to advantage. 

Remorse, that ever present ghost of past days; vain regrets, 
those companions of our lives that sticketh closer than a 
brother, or even our shadows, are bound to return when we 
least desire their presence. These unmerciful harbingers of 
evil consequences returned, with renewed force, upon the 
bridegroom, who was waiting alone in his room for high 
noon, and his bride. From his bed he watched the hour hand 
of the town clock, across the street, move slowly toward 
twelve, as a criminal keeps one eye upon the clock, while 
with the other, he watches the scaffold in the yard of the 
penitentiary, for he could not shake off remorse and regret 
until the hand pointed toward the figure eleven, and he knew 
that only a few minutes of waiting remained. 

Then it was that he heard the bridal party ascending the 
stairs. He watched them as they entered the room, led by 
the rector, the Reverend Homer Matthews, who was to per¬ 
form the ceremony, and he smiled at his bride from his bed. 
There were very few in the party; only the immediate rela¬ 
tives and friends of Katherine. She was still very much 
provoked, because a great satisfaction had been denied her. 
She wished to marry the richest man in town under the gaze 
of all those who had classed themselves as the elite of the 
social groups. 

As the clock across Market street struck the hour, the 


374 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


rector took his place beside the bed and began the service. 
As he proceeded even he felt that something was imminent. 
He paused several times as he searched the faces of the 
assembled few, for he felt that someone was making great 
efforts to speak to him. Being able to recognize nothing 
unusual on the countenances of any present, he continued 
the service. 

As he reached the sentence containing the charge: “If 
there be any here assembled who knows any just cause why 
these may not lawfully be joined together in Marriage, I re¬ 
quire him now to make it known, or ever after to hold his 
peace,” there was a stir at the door behind the semi-circle of 
witnesses. A stranger stepped into view, followed by Mrs. 
Marah, who had not come with the party. The stranger 
was haggard and worn, with hair unkempt and sprinkled 
with gray. His eyes moved restlessly over the guests, as if 
he did not at first fully comprehend the whole situation. But 
he soon realized that the rector was waiting for him to 
speak, or show that he had not desired to interrupt the 
ceremony. Whaley’s attitude was changing very rapidly as 
he showed signs of recognizing the intruder, and he said to 
the minister, “You have hesitated long enough, I reckon.” 

But the rector saw that the stranger had something to say. 

At last he spoke. “I am here, sir,” he said to Whaley. 

Whaley was now sure that he knew the man. “Let it 
continue,” he exclaimed in an irritated voice. The rector 
continued to wait. He wanted his ceremonies performed 
properly, or not at all. The face of the bride was a psycho¬ 
logical study. 

But no one studied her face very long, for the stranger 
continued, “Walt’ Whaley, you are a married man, the hus¬ 
band of this wronged woman; the father of the girl you are 
in sech a hurry to marry.” 

If a bolt of lightning had struck the house in which the 


“Just a Slight Accident; . . ” 


375 


people were assembled, it would not have produced more 
consternation or surprise. 

“Who are you?” screamed the wounded bride-groom as 
he tried to leap from his bed. Then he fell back in great 
pain, but the bride did not show any solicitation for his 
comfort. 

“I’m Roy Gordy, your one-time tool, your dupe. I’ve been 
a fool, but thank God I’ve redeemed myself to some extent, 
though He knows how much I must still do before He will 
call it square.” 

The bride now stood still and as cold as an icicle, while 
she stared upon the form of her mother, who had fallen 
helpless to the floor. James raised her to the foot of 
Whaley’s bed, where she lay in a faint for some minutes. 
The Senator seemed to be the only one prepared for the sur¬ 
prise, and he now administered first aid to the woman. 
Even Mr. Matthews, who was noted as a man who did not 
become confused under any circumstances, seemed to realize 
what all had just escaped, and was not able to get his mind 
in its proper functioning order. 

As Mrs. Marah recovered Katherine slowly left the room 
with Mrs. Ward. They were soon followed by the rest of 
the guests, except the rector who remained with Whaley 
and his deserted wife. Whaley found a needed friend in 
the rector, but all attempts made by him failed to bring a 
reconciliation between the two, for Whaley stubbornly re¬ 
fused to speak to the woman. The rector, an old and ex¬ 
perienced man, had seen many and varied relationships in 
the duties pertaining to his calling, but this was one differing 
from all of the rest; one that he did not know how to 
manage. But the woman herself extricated him from the 
seeming dilemma, by leaving the men together. She re¬ 
turned to her room at the Covington Mansion, which was 
then the scene of explanation, where Gordy was playing an 
important role. 


CHAPTER XXXI 


THE ROBBED POCOMOKE IS AVENGED 

The departure of Mrs. Marah seemed to remove the re¬ 
straint which had tied Whaley’s tongue, for he began to 
speak while she was descending the stairs. “Mr. Matthews,” 
he began, “I never dreamed that she was my daughter. I 
have been with her from the time she was a small girl. I 
thought I was attracted to her by her pleasant courtesy to 
me, which was so noticeable, when compared to the attitude 
of the other children of the town. I see now what the at¬ 
traction was. The last report I had of them was years ago. 
A friend told me that they had gone somewhere across the 
sea. He did not know their destination. I never once 
thought either of them was alive. She was the daughter of 
old Lindsay at the Grange. Everyone said that they were 
rich, and I thought riches was what counted then. I mar¬ 
ried her, but when I found out the mistake I made I left 
her at Philadelphia. She was very proud, if poor, and so 
was I. We both thought the other had money. I told her 
I had none, neither did I at that time. God forgive me. 
What am I to do, Mr. Matthews ? ” 

“Acknowledge and claim her before the world, and ask 
her forgiveness. I believe she will grant it.” 

“Do you think she will even listen? Not her, but I’ll try.” 

“You may count upon my help at any time. Where has 
Gordy been that he has not appeared sooner ? ” 

“God knows; I don’t.” 

“After a day or so I will see your wife, and will return to 
you. Perhaps things will not be as difficult as you antici¬ 
pate.” 


The Robbed Pocomoke is Avenged 377 

“Don’t make it too long; everything will go against me 
now.” 

The rector thought deeply about the last statement of his 
Parishioner as he returned to his home. He had pitied 
many men, but his pity for Whaley was almost compassion. 
He wanted to go at once to the Covington Mansion in order 
to hear the complete story, but decided to wait for a few 
days, then he would talk to the Senator, who would be glad 
to tell him the events in a sensible manner. 

If he had gone to the home of the Senator he would have 
heard Gordy answer the question which he had asked 
Whaley. The other members of the bridal party were again 
assembled in the drawing room closely listening to Gordy’s 
story. 

“You’ll be surprised, Jim, to hear that it all come of that 
theft in Gambrill’s office years ago. I was honest ’till then, 
if I was no ’count. I can’t tell, to save my life, why I done 
it; I reckon it was drink. But when Walt’ come to me an’ 
asked me to make him that key, he sade, ‘Roy, I’m in trubble; 
old Gambrill don’t know it yet, an’ I don’t want him to. 
I’ve lost his key, an’ I want you to make me one jest like 
this drawing, an’ I’ll pay you enough so you can pay the old 
man what you owe him for whiskey. I owed his pa’ con- 
siderabul then. Hope I ma’ die, if every word I’m telling 
ain’t the God’s truth. I never suspected anything. I made 
the key, an’ he give me several dollars for the job, which 
was good pay. I paid his pa’ my debt, then I heard about 
the robbery. 

“The nex’ day he come to me again, an’ he sade to me, 
‘Roy, I’ll be doggone if I’m not in trubble again, an’ you’ll 
be, if you don’t lie, an’ lie good an’ hard. Old Gambrill 
has lost some money, an’ he’s found out that I had a new 
key made. I’ll give you twenty-five dollars to say you made 
that key fur Jim Purnell, fur he was in my office the day 


378 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


that money went. That’s all you need say; they can’t prove 
anything from that.’ 

“I sade, ‘I’ll be die if I do anything of the kind. I made 
that key for you an’ I’ll say so to anybody. Jim’s always 
been my friend, an’ I don’t remember any act of kindness 
you ever done fur me, ‘cep’ to kick me out of your pa’s 
store when I was drunk, like you done Mason, an’ the rest 
who happened to be there when you wanted to close up.’ I 
sade, ‘Darned if I’ll lie about a friend, unless I’m drunk.’ ” 

“ ‘Then get drunk an’ say it,’ he told me. I sade to him, ‘I 
won’t do it to save my life.’ ‘All right,’ he sade, ‘you’ll go to 
jail, for I’ll swear you made the key to steal that money. But 
if you say what I tell you to say, no one will go to jail. They 
can’t prove anything from that.’ Well I knowed I didn’t 
belong to do any such a sneakin’, lyin’ thing like that. But 
I thought of my wife and kids, an’ felt that maybe they 
would fare worse if I did not do what Walt told me. I was 
afraid of him, for he could do anything he wanted to. I 
was a fool of a coward then. That’s the reason I done it; 
that’s the gospel truth. That’s the reason I didn’t dare look 
you in the face the day of the trial at Townsend’s. I couldn’t 
look at a honest man. But I figured it, that if I didn’t ap¬ 
pear at the court, you would go free for lack of evidence. I 
forgot about your name. It don’t take much evidence to 
stain a good name. People don’t look for evidence like the 
lawyers. So I decided to disappear. 

“But I had a friend, a mechanic, who was watching 
Whaley. Hancock found him out at the Grange. He knew 
that Whaley was lyin’ to Grace Lindsay, for Hancock loved 
her, an’ Whaley determined to win her from him, ’though 
the two boys was good frien’s. Then Hancock followed 
them until Whaley married her in a small town of New Jer¬ 
sey, called Bristol; then he knowed that he had lost, an’ he 
returned to tell me what had happened.” 


The Robbed Pocomoke is Avenged 379 

At this point of the story the Senator interrupted. “Where 
were you staying during that time ? ” 

“I stayed on Smith’s island for several years, but when the 
people had to move off, because it began to sink below high 
tides, I went to Crisfield. I saw Grace Lindsay one day on 
the street of Crisfield. I tried to get away from her, but 
she seen me, an’ called me. I though it was all up with me 
’till she told me what Whaley had done. Then she sade, Tf 
you ever see Will Hancock, tell him that I am sorry, very 
sorry for leaving him, but now it’s too late.’ Then she be¬ 
gan to cry, an’ I told her I would do anything I could for 
her, an’ I asked her where her baby was. She sade, Tt’s at 
Snow Hill with Mr. Purnell’s mother.’ Then she told me 
how it got there an’ why she was in Crisfield. I told her, 
Tf you ever go to Snow Hill, which I expect you will, don’t 
you ever tell where I am.’ That’s the reason she never sent 
for me ’till the wedding, for I refused to come unless I had 
to. She was positive that Katherine wouldn’t marry Whaley. 
I told her you never could tell what a girl would do. ‘Look 
what you done,’ I sade to her. She was scared an’ worried 
that she might. She kep’ sendin’ that old nigger to bother 
me, an’ I was afraid he would tell where I was. I kep’ him 
scared, though. I’ve repented many times, Jim, for what I 
done to you, an’ I can never pay you back for what you done 
for my wife an’ children. But I’ve voted for you every 
time, an’ I’ve got other people to do it, an’ when men say to 
me, ‘Look what pro’bition is doin’. There’s more drinkin’ 
now than ever,’ I say, ‘Look what it’s done for me.’ An’ 
when they say, Tf they would open the saloons we would 
not drink near so much, don’t you think so, old toper ? ’ I 
say ‘Hell no, an’ you don’t either. You know that’s a lie, an’ 
a darned big one, too, about there being more drinkin’ now 
than ever. You an’ me might get it as long as we live, an’ 
the quicker it kills us, the better; but it ain’t makin’ thou¬ 
sands of new drunks to take our places like the saloons did.’ 


380 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


I always swore I’d be glad when they were closed, an’ I voted 
fur you every time, because you was tryin’ to close them. 
May the devil keep his own, I say.” 

“Why didn’t you let me know long ago about this. You 
know I would have done nothing publicly about it,” asked the 
Senator. 

“I know now, Jim; but then I didn’t. I knowed I be¬ 
longed to do it, but I was a coward, a sneakin’ coward. I 
was scared of you, an’ I was scared of Whaley most. I 
knowed the rascal he was.” 

“Well, there’s one thing we all ought to be thankful for; 
that no more harm came of it to any of us. Especially ought 
we to be glad that Katherine has found her mother and 
father at last. There’s one thing that puzzles me, though. 
That is, how Grace Lindsay kept any of us from finding out 
who she was. Even when she told me that she was Kath¬ 
erine’s mother I could not think where I had seen her be¬ 
fore, yet I thought I knew her face.” 

During the last part of this conversation, Mrs. Marah, or 
Mrs. Whaley, we must call her now, sat upon the divan, 
while Katherine lay with her head in her mother’s lap, like 
she had often done before. Neither had spoken a word, but 
now the mother said: “I lived every day in great fear of 
being found out. That’s the reason I never allowed Walter 
to see me, and why I never went to bed until Katherine re¬ 
turned, when she was out with him. I hate him with a 
hatred worse than all the world’s hate together. He ruined 
my life and my happiness, and my faith in all mankind, until 
I met you. You Senator, are the only man that I believe in. 
He was not even satisfied until he ruined his own daughter’s 
happiness. I tried to keep her happy, and hoped as Roy has 
said, that her wedding day would never come. I waited until 
the very last minute that I could wait. I knew that Whaley 
was in the swamp making whiskey, and I helped to plan that 
he would be shot, but not seriously. The men who did it 


The Robbed Pocomoke is Avenged 381 

were called here by me. But all that I did seemed to do no 
good. I wanted to keep Katherine’s origin a secret from her, 
at least as long as I could, without giving her any worry. 
Roy and faithful old Uncle Israel, have done very well in 
helping me. But he’ll pay for this. He can do no more than 
he has done, and now it is my turn.” 

Thus they sat talking long into the afternoon. Then 
James and Roy returned to the old Purnell home on Market 
street, where Mrs. Gordy and her children had lived ever 
since Roy disappeared. When they first arrived Mrs. Gordy 
was not much inclined to forgive him, but when she knew 
what the Senator had done she received her erring husband 
into the home. 

“If Senator James can forgive you, I reckon I can,” she 
said. 

In a short time his children came in, both of them grown 
now, so much that their father did not know them. They 
seemed very glad to see him, and that day the father ex¬ 
changed the old man that he had been for the new. There¬ 
after he tried hard to redeem the mistakes of his youth, 
and succeeded to a wonderful degree. 

About one week later, Katherine’s mother bade her daugh¬ 
ter good-bye, saying that she was going to see Roy Gordy. 
Mr. Matthews had been to talk to her, but apparently with¬ 
out success. Katherine thought her mother’s actions pe¬ 
culiar, especially when she so fervently kissed her, as she 
said, “Now be a good girl, and don’t further worry those 
who love you, especially Mr. Purnell and Jane, who has tried 
to be a good mother to you. They love you as much as I 
do.” With a long embrace she left the house and her 
daughter, but the girl did not pay any especial attention to it 
until later. She retired as usual, to her own room, expect¬ 
ing to see her mother in the morning. She had not quite got¬ 
ten used to her new life, and was herself a disciplined girl. 
But that morning never came, for Mrs. Marah and Walter 


382 The Gentleman From Maryland 

Whaley both disappeared that night. No one but Gordy 
remembered seeing them. He said that the woman had left 
his home about nine o’clock; but he remembered that she 
had acted very strange. She had shaken hands with him 
and his wife. She had also thanked him several times for 
not failing her when she needed his help. That was all that 
he knew of her. 

As for Whaley, he had been seen limping around the town 
that afternoon, but no one had seen him that night. They 
both seemed to have disappeared as completely as Smith’s 
Island. The tomb-stones are all that can be seen, even at 
low tides, to show that hundreds of people once lived and 
worked, and had their homes upon it. 

Senator Purnell did all that he could to find Katherine’s 
mother for her, but without succeeding. But when he re¬ 
ported his failure to the girl, she did not worry much, per¬ 
haps because she had not consciously owned her, except for 
a few days, perhaps because it was the opinion of those 
around town that the two had gone off together to begin 
life over again. But the girl missed her for some time after¬ 
wards, as the friend, and even the servant on whom she 
could always depend for both great and small favors. 

That fall the Purnell’s returned to Washington for the 
last time. Within a month the Senator was defeated by the 
voters of Baltimore, who joined the opposite party in order 
to break his power. They hated him because he was striving 
also to close the saloons of Baltimore County and the city 
itself. He never returned to live at Snow Hill, although the 
Eastern Shore, has always supported him. 

The Covington Mansion has remained closed from that 
day. Not a person has lived there, and every piece of furni¬ 
ture is in the same position that it was placed by Mrs. Pur¬ 
nell. It is his desire that it remain so until death claims 
one of them, then the other will return to the old home to 
spend the rest of his allotted life alone. Unlike other vacant 


The Robbed Pocomoke is Avenged 383 

houses, however, it is kept in the best of repair, receiving 
a new coat of paint whenever it needs it. Many of Snow 
Hill’s residents have attempted to purchase or rent it; but 
the Senator refuses to allow anyone to interfere with its 
arrangements. It is the finest visible monument that he has 
of her who is his faithful and understanding wife. 

His political defeat was easy to bear, but for the fact that 
many of his former friends and supporters failed him, be¬ 
cause they did not want anyone to enforce laws where they 
were concerned. Force the other fellows to keep the laws, 
but close the eyes in order not to see them. They believe 
in personal liberty—for themselves, though. 

Thus heroes are born and live in our midst without our 
being able to see them. We are prone, rather, to look far 
afield for heroic deeds to be accomplished, while they are 
being done at our very doors, and we know it not. 

It is not the man who conquers a great army, or who leads 
his nation to greatness, that is the only hero. The greatest 
heroes are those who conquer themselves; those who place 
the teachings of “the Prince of Peace” first, and practice loy¬ 
alty to him. 

Some men wait until they are about to die, before they 
think of religious things. Then they resolve to make their 
remaining days their best days. There is not much heroism 
about that. They think they can cheat their God and Saviour, 
but the only reason he accepts them is because of his infinite 
love for their souls. Religion is a good thing to live by, and 
it is a better thing to die by, but the man who practices it all 
of his life is not only a hero, he is a Christian hero. 

The American people are becoming more and more to be 
the slaves of Sunday as a day for a good time, a holiday, 
rather than a holy day. For some, it is just like any day on 
which we do not have to work. If we want to preserve our 
institutions we must heroically stand for that which is not 
only right or just, but because it is religious. 


384 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


We are afraid of the word “religion/’ Statesmen hardly 
ever mention it; teachers practically ignore it; even preach¬ 
ers, of so-called fame, allow their tongues to stumble over it 
sometimes, as if by accident. Yet it will remain until the 
last, for men must find God or lose their souls. All other 
things will count for nothing, until God becomes the head 
of all. 

What a man thinks of this determines his character and his 
desire to serve others, or to have them serve him. This uni¬ 
verse will become “dust and ashes” whenever God is ig¬ 
nored by our leaders. The heroes in our midst who resemble 
“the Great Stone Face” must not look for foreign saviours 
or heroes, but must rise up in their might and call Him 
blessed, who said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and 
its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto 
you.” 

Our Nation is in great need of such heroes. Yet not 
many years ago certain men and women, who were far from 
being heroes, advocated a system of training for our chil¬ 
dren, which is contrary to the best examples and wisdom of 
the older and tried heads. Since that system has become 
dominant our young people are becoming incorrigible by 
the thousands. The percentage of those who become great 
has fallen very low. The present generation is selfish, ir¬ 
religious, unrighteous, unheroic. Let us turn again to that 
tried and staid principle that “the rod and reproof give 
wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to 
shame.” We are glad that a large percentage of parents and 
teachers have refused to give up this principle, to save our 
Nation thus far. There are times when “don’ts” save life 
and limb. 

Human society must be governed in accordance with the 
will of God; otherwise, the “wicked multiply and transgres¬ 
sion increaseth.” Mothers of to-day are not thinking seri¬ 
ously of the problem of training children in the way that 


The Robbed Pocomoke is Avenged 385 

they ought to go. They shoo them out in the morning, and 
desire them to stay until roosting time; then they are wel¬ 
comed just long enough to get them off to bed. There is no 
religious instruction, except in the most limited number of 
cases, no word of prayer, no instruction in morals, no cor¬ 
rections or warnings; yet children are expected to become 
models of virtue. “Where there is no vision the people 
perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” 

Communities cannot produce men of the type of the 
Gentleman from Maryland without a strong, religious, law- 
abiding atmosphere. Snow Hill and other such communities 
may sleep in perfect satisfaction and lethargy, but their 
awakening will come. Yet it seems that no power can at 
present arouse them. They are self-satisfied, self-esteemed, 
self-conceited, and self-righteous. They want no outside in¬ 
terference, they even resent it. Even when great men arise 
from a practically dead environment the rest remain practi¬ 
cally dormant. Spring never comes to arouse the buds of 
progress, or to awaken the sap of an inner life that will 
change them from something ugly, hideous, and useless, ex¬ 
cept for fuel, to something of beauty, utility, and power. 

It is no wonder that the best of men grow away from such 
a town; they come back to human tomb-stones and walking 
coffins; they soon leave, never to return. They find nothing 
of sympathy between them and the dead residents. Their 
talk is small, their deeds are smaller, and their ambitions are 
smallest. Yet these same people turn against the ambitious 
resident, and call him ungrateful or disloyal, when they them¬ 
selves are the ungrateful ones. 

But even if Senator Purnell remained away, his adopted 
daughter returned. Her faithful devotee, John Mason, per¬ 
suaded her to become his wife, and she henceforth made her 
home at Stockton, to all intents, a loving and helpful matron. 
This was several months after the Senator’s defeat as a 
politician. 


386 


The Gentleman From Maryland 


Several days after the disappearance of Whaley and his 
wife there was a severe thunderstorm. Such a storm had 
not struck the Shore since the one that brought Kitty Fod¬ 
ders into the Sinepuxent Bay. This storm did as much in 
unraveling the mystery as the former did in introducing it. 
A steamboat which was going up the river to Snow Hill 
sighted and picked up the bodies of a drowned man and 
woman. Her arms were securely locked around his body, 
as though she had either tried to keep him from escaping, or 
tried too late to save her life. They proved to be those of 
Whaley and his wronged wife, united again in death. The 
dark, fearful waters of the Pocomoke had done their turn 
in finishing the destruction attempted by those of the Sine¬ 
puxent, on the other side of the Shore. But a more deserving 
victim had been found this time, and Uncle Israel’s prophecy 
concerning them had been fulfilled. 


















































